Evening star., 1927-10-05
zoo RAISES FOOD
FOR RARE ANIMALS
Choice Rats, Worms, Carrots
and Eggs Are Produced on
Institutions Farm.

4 small poultry and stock farm Is
nncrated at the National Geological
Park to provide essential delicacies
in the diet Of the animals such rs
strictly fresh eggs. honey, duck a Ia
carte and nice juicy rats
The large monkey population cf
the Zoo. in particular. are itunlcky
eaters and demand boiled eggs which
have been laid the same day Dur
ing the past year more than 200
dozen eggs were produced by the
Zoo poultry flock. These were
mostly hens eggs. but there was
considerable mixture of goose and
duck eggs to give tasty variations IN
the diet.
Most of the monkeys want their
eggs cooked Some of them have
not advanced that far in civliza-
ton from their jungle habits and
prefer raw eggs, such as they or their
immediate ancestors used To steal
from jungle nests. Among these Is
the anubis baboon. He was sick
last. Summer and when monkey IS
sick he is at once put on an egg diet.
The anuhiS has two cheek pouches.
He would put two eggs in his mouth
at once. holding one in each pouch.
He would crush fNe shells, one after
contents and spit out the shells.
Birds Eat Ground Eggs.
Many of the tropical birds, as we'll
as the monkeys, are fed boiled eggs
which have been ground up in
chopper Such a diet is essential
when the birds appear ailing. espe-
cially during the Winter when they
do not get their proper amount OF
sunshine and demand something TO
take its place
Hundreds of rats are raised at the
Zoo farm every year as articles of diet
for the cats and larger birds. They
are introduced as diet variations. For
many meat-eating birds in their wild
state rats are the principal article of
diet. They also are fed in consider
able quantities to the snakes.
Honey provided by the Zoo beehive
is an important article in the diet of
the bears. The bears craving for
sweets can be allayed for a time with
lump sugar and candy, but he soon
gets restless after honey has been
withheld for d long time. The only
sweet food which he can get in his
wild state is the honey which, defiant
of stings he paws out of hollow trees.
Lions Want Variety.
Chickens, ducks, geese and rabbits
are raised in wholesale lots to be fed
to the animals. particularly the lions,
leopards and tigers, who soon grow
tired of strictly beef diet and become
run down and restless in their dissat
isfaction Pigeons frequently are fed
TO the cats and are eaten bones and
ALL The bones provide the essential
amount of lime to balance their diet
when in captivity.
Formerly the Zoo farm raised con
siderably quantities OF guinea pigs.
but this practice has been practically
given up 1t was found that the ami
mails didn't like guinea pig, and some
times would leave a meal after merely
nibbling at it, while they would gobble
down birds or rabbits.
The most curious produce from the
Zoo farm consists of worms meal
worms. angle worms and several mi
mute species of tropical worms, which
are raised by the hundreds Of thou
sands. Worm farming is a specially
in itself. The creatures are fed CON
siderable quantities Of cheese and but
tormilk. upon which they grow fat,
They then are fed to the birds.
Demands Polite Service.
The fussest boarder at the Zoo is
also one of the rarest and most valu
able birds in the world--the shoebill
stork. brought here last year from
Africa by the SmithsOnian+Chrysle
e,pctiitiou His diet is almost entirely
fish, but it must be served in style.
Fish left on the floor of the cage re-
mains untouched. II must be placed.
piece by piece. on a f0rked stick and
offered politely by one of the bird
house attendants To the shoebill, who
always takes his time about eating.
Ali the vitamin-containing vege-
tables. such as carrots, tomatoes.
lettuce, etc, are raised at the Zoo
Farm and introduced in specific guam
titles into the diet. The animals are
watched ~ carefully az children for
the first appearance of rickets, a
/ disease which is likely 10 atflict them
when the diet is not exactly right.
Considerable quantities Of condensed
! milk are used in the Zoo bill of fare,
! including brands especially prepared
for infants which are fed to the
! bottle" babies Of the establishment
/ There is only one of these in the Zoo
/ at present. an Indian antelope, born
] three days ago. who gets his four
! daily feelings from an ordinary nurs-
/ Ing bottle. Sometimes in the Spring
! there are four or nEe battie babies
/ which must he fed The pjsmy hippo.
/ potamus recently received from Africa
as "A gift To President Coolidge from
! Harvey Fire$tone, still lives largely on
warm milk
The cod liver oil bottle never Is far
away from the monkey house and is
! administered with Il tablespoon TO
those which seem listless. despite
, their Vi40ruiiS DrotpStS. 1t is quite a
/ different matter To feed cod.liver oil
/ 10 the larger animals and TIhoy. the
/ giraffe absolutely refuses to swallow
, il although he is considered greatly
! IN need Of IT,
Sloth Wanted Bananas.
/ Numerous experiments with animal
/ diet are made at the 200 farm and
! curious speCialtics continually are In