Imperial Valley press., 1936-09-20

HEY seemed to say, Come
backbone back tomorrow.
We have many more new stunts
we want to show you"
All in all the bears were a
great success and one Of the lead
ing attractions at the zoo. Every
thing was fine-but the bears had
no names.
A local newspaper, catching
the enthusiasm of the children,
sponsored a contest to find names
for the beasts.
After weeks of excited compe-
tition among their child admir-
ers, their names were selected
and announced. They were to be
called Muchacha and Muchacho;
the feminine and masculine.
Everybody was happy
A note of acute disappointment
creeps into Fred Chattens voice
as he relates the rest of the story.
"Within a short time" he says,
I'VE saw signs of more than a
little dissention in the domestic
affairs of Muehacha and Mucha-
cho as they developed into ma
turity.
Sometimes the heretofore
playful swipes of the great paws
would seem to be not so play
full. We noticed deep rumblings
and sometimes belligerent roars
over the possession of loaf of
bread or rubber ball.
"Muchacha or Muc h a ho,
whichever happened to be on the
receiving end of the clouts, would
retire sulkily to far corner of
the bear pit. His great head
would sway from side to side as
he darted malevolent flashes from
his tiny, bead-like eyes.
no OMEHOW, though, we were
y not unduly alarmed. In a
few days, or maybe hours, the
two behemoths would make up
and be friends again.
1--WE continued to have high
hopes of a blessed event.
Meanwhile their special trainer
had not been idle Muchacha and
Muchacho showed an unmistak-
able talent for learning and per-
fecting new t. icks.
Diving from the rocky crags on
the edge of their pool became
merely commonplace perform
ances.
Their trainer racked his brain
and diligently instructed his
charges in the art of standing up
and boxing with each other, pos
ing for pictures, and increasing
the wide variety of their clumsy
yet strangely graceful dives from
the rocks.
HATTEN continues, Sud
" denly, out of a clear sky,
tragedy began to unfold.
"On opening the zoo one morn
ing we found signs of a furious,
bloody battle which had happened
sometime during the night in the
bear pit.
"The pool was stained a deep
crimson with the blood of both
the giant bears.
"Muchacho covered in a far
corner of the bear pit. He
swayed from side to side as if in
a drunken stupor. One shaggy
ear hung in shreds, blood
streamed from gaping wounds
about his head. His massive chest
was torn and lacerated from the
furious swipes of his adversary's
cruel claws.
1.-THE other com batant. not
nearly so much the worse for
wear, paced restlessly up and
down the other side of the pit.
It was evident to us from the
ominous rumblings coming deep
from his chest that he was ready
to advance and do battle to the
death if necessary.
1--WE separated the animals and
kept them apart for many weeks
until the badly wounded bear had
partly recovered.
Maybe you have heard stories
that wild animal can be stared
down by a man. We tried that
experiment in this instance while
we were endeavoring to separate
the beasts.
"All have to say is that it just
doesn't work in actual practice.
1t took good, solid iron bars and
a great deal of strong-arm work
before we finally got them into
their own quarters.
1--WE did not know at that time
that the wounded bear had re-
ceived dangerous internal injur-
les. In fact, he was never to fully
recover from the terrific trounc-
ing which had been administered
in the course of that cory mid
night battle.
~ A FTER weeks of careful OBJ.
~ servation we at last de-
cided that the time was right to
give them another chance to be
together.
"A new and larger play pen
was designed for them in a sunny