Evening star., 1937-11-13
DR.. MANN TELLS
OF PYTHON BATTLE
ReCounts Expedition Thrills
in Opening Geographic
Lecture Series.
BY w. H. SHIPPEN, Jr.

How members of the National Geo.
graphic Society," Smithsonian Insti-
tuition expedition to the East Indies
battled a huge python for the life
of one of their native hunters was
related to an audience in Constitu-
ton Hall last night by DR.. William
M. Mann, director of the Zoo.
At that time, the expedition had
established its headquarters in an
abandoned hospital about 100 miles
inland from the port of Medam,
Sumatra. AS the animal collection
grew, visitors began to come from
near and far to see the field ZOO.
Among the callers was the American
Consul from Singapore, his wife and
their small boy.
While his parents were drinking
tea with DR.. and Mrs. Mann, son
Tommy went adventuring among the
cages arranged about the spacious
lawn and terraces. He had been
warned not to get too near the tigers,
snakes. etc, for like most 6-year-olds,
he was possessed of lively curiosity
Snake Eat Boy"
Tommy's parents were chatting with
the Manns when Malay helper came
dsshing up to the expedition leader.
Doctor, DOCTOR" he cried, snake eat
boy!"
All present, including Tommy's fond
parents, had visions of Tommy dis
appearing down the NAV of a python.
DR.. Mann said the expedition had a
20-foot python quite capable of Swal-
lowing boy Tommy's size. given the
opportunity.
Needless to say, DR.. Mann lost no
time getting to The snake cages. With
mixed emotions of relief and alarm.
DR.. Mann found it was his native
helper. Lyang Gaddi, Borneo tlapper
and guide, who was involved with
the big serpent.
Gaddi, small, but wiry and tough.
was fighting the big snake with the
assistance of Roy Jennier, keeper of
the Zoos reptile house, and two
Malay boys.
The python had partjslly swal-
lowed Gaddi'5 arm, and was trying
to throw his powerful coils about the
hunter. Mr.. Jennier and the others
were wrestling with the snake to
prevent this maneuver.
Holds Like Bulldog.
The snake had escaped from his
crate while Gaddi was feeding him
He had firmly clamped his long
notwithstanding teeth in Gaddi's
arm, and held on like bulldog. DR..
Mann jumped in to help.
The four men, after a struggle
Strengthened out the python's coils
and pried his mouth open, releasing
Gaddi. A tournquiet was applied, and
then Gaddi was rushed to The hos
pital. -Four stitches were required to
close the wounds.
Il told Gaddi to take tim. off to
recover" DR.. Mann said, but that
same afternoon he was ba * at work
That's one of the reasons we brought
him back to this country with u.s."
A capacity audience last night heard
DR.. and Mrs. Mann open the National
Geographic Society's f1fty-first annual
lecture series. The collectors were
introduced by DR.. Gilbert Grosvenor.
head of the society MIR. Jennier
ana Malcolm Davis. chief keeper of
the Bird House. occupied the speakers
platfrom with Dr.. and Mrs. Mann.
Color films and motion pictures
taken by DR.. Owen Williams, staff
photographer and writer for the So
ciety, were shown as an accompani-
ment to .he lecture
Mrs. Mann Tells of Role.
Mrs. Mann told of her duties as
the wife of 'the modern Noah" dur
Ing the nine-month stay in the field.
Il think that Noah's wife must nave
spent lot of time peeling bananas.
cutting up pumpkins for the animals
and helping her husband TO WORRY
about the weather" Mrs. Mann said.
we were one up on Noah, however.
He was only 40 days at sea. while
we were so days coming from the
other side of the world
DR.. Mann told of visiting ZOOS in
Japan, which he described as some
OF the worlds finest, and in Shang-
hai where he obtained two blue
sheep, a Chinese alligator and a giant