Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-09
CAGE COMPANION
REFUSED BY N'G|;;
GRAVES LIMEL|GHT
Effort to Provide Playmate
for Gorilla Is Resented
by Blows.
DELIGHTED BY LAUGHS
PRODUCED BY ANTICS
Adapts Self to Routine of Life
and Appears to Be Con-
tented.

The two-year old chimpanzee brought
from the Tanganyika Province of East
Africa two weeks ago as playmate
for N'gi, the baby gorilla at the Zoo,
has been removed to a separate cage
in the monkey house. Hereafter there
will be no efforts to provide companions
snip for the temperamental little ape,
for the experiment resulted just the
opposite from what was intended.
After a few days of conditioning to
the life at the Zoo, the chinpanzee was
taken in closed box to the gorilla
cage. N'gi, with characteristic curiosity,
looked through the bars and when he
saw another creature that looked some
what like himself he evinced unmistak-
able signs of diSpleasure.
Then the box was opened ana the
chimpanzee induced to come out. AL
most Immediately N'gi pounced upon
her with blows and kicks. These, &C
cording to DR.. william M Mann, Zoo
director, doubtless we're intended to be
playful, but they were too much for the
chimpanzee, who was no match for the
growing gorilla.
They were left in the cage together
for a time in the hope that they would
get acquainted. But N'gi contsnI<:< TO
abuse his playmate until it WIS decided
to take her out for the safety Of both.
N'gi Graves Sunlight.
N'gi, DR.. Mann says, seams to have
developed an actor complex. He is
greatly pleased when groAps gather in
front of his cage, perforfis strenuously
for them, and seems to take real delight
in the laughter aroused by his antics.
The thought of sharing his place as the
center of attraction was distasteful.
He also seems to consider that he has
property rights in hiSSCege, which he is
not willing to share. He has adapted
himself to the routine Of life there and
appears perfectly happ%. After period
OF decline during the Summer he has
started to put on weight rapidly and
the muscles of his powerful arms are
developing so that he now is able to
hold an 8-pound medicine ball under
one arm and climb to the top of his
cage. He tried for months to do this
without success.
When N'gi first came to Washington
400 officials were afraid that he would
ole OF consequences. He had been given
the run OF private home for a year
before that, being treated almost like
member OF the family. But the prob
lem OF finding some animal to keep
company with the pathetic little ape
was a difficult one First he was placed
in large cage with two gibbons. They
were too fast for him and he was re-
moved lest he injure himself in his
clumsy enraged efforts to chase them
after they would strike him and run
away.
Likes Living Alone.
He was placed in a cage by himself
while some ether companion was select
ed. But he seemed to be SO well salts
fed in his new quarters that placing
another animal with him was delayed.
Then he became sick and was kept
alone Ger fear of further infection. So
he has become adapted to living alone
and likes it.
Meanwhile the little cl1impanzee
temporarily has taken the place of N'gi
as the baby of the Zoo. Boisterous and
mischievous on the long voyage from
East Africa, she now is very quiet, de-
mands attention, and cries for her
keeper to come to her.
Nature has played some queer prank5
at the Zoo this week. First, an Aus
tralian silver gull laid neStful of eggs
and started Matching them under the de-
luSicn that Spring was close at hand.
In her native home, below the Equator,
the seasons are reversed. Almost in
Variably, DR.. Mann says, birds from the
Southern Hemisphere adapt themselves
to the change Immediately they are
brought North and hatch their eggs in
the Spring like Northern birds. This
is the first case of the kind in the rec
ordS of the Zoo.
Then baby llama was born. This
animal also is native below the Equator,
but always subconsciously adaptS itself
to the changed seasons in the North,
bearing its young in the Springtime.
Tapir Dies After Operation.
The Zoo collection sustained serious
loss in the death of Brazilian tapir,
which had been taken to Johns Hopkins
University for a hernia operation by a
prominent surgeon. The tapir has been
seriously disabled for several months,
the necessary operation was delicate,
and the unprecedented step of sending
it to specialist was decided on. The
animal survived the operation, but died,
probably from the weakening effects Of
the aneSthetic, before it could be sent
back to Washington.
Delicate animal surgery which re-
quireS the use of aneSthetics, DR.. Mann
said, always is doubtful because differ
ent aneSthetics have different effects on
animals and practically nothing Is
known of these effects.
-e-
-UanR-NaS