Evening star., 1939-07-07
Zoo
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box for his crocodilians. That was
in Calcutta, where the mercury was
hitting over 100 daily. Mr.. Davis
picked up good, strong box cheap
native coffin. 1t served the pur-
pose nicely after he bored a few
holes for ventilation. The handles
lor carrying the box were already in
place.
Few Deaths on Board.
In spite of this detail there were
lew deaths among the collection
couple of small cats and monitor
lizard -. Quite record for a jour-
ney half around the world, one
part of which took the menagerie
around the Cape of Good Hope.
Mr.. Davis and Gunda are the best
OF pals, although a trif1e bored with
each other. The principal keeper
built Gunda a sea going corral
under the poop deck, 10-by is foot
pen Of heavy planking, lashed with
rope and shored top and bottom.
He installed electric lights, so
Gunda wouldn't get afraid of the
dark, and built special runway
from the pen to door leading on
deck.
Gunda, who is more than years
OLD, and weighs up to 1900 pounds.
couldn't have the run of the deck,
but he got plenty of elbow room. Be-
ing one OF the most valuable exhibi-
ton animals in the world, worth
perhaps $4,000, Gunda was fed
three specially-prepared meals day,
along with all the cool water he
could drink. Mr.. Davis carried the
water from amidShips.
Gunda preferred the "gur" of his
native India-cane molasses on his
boiled rice. He consumed large
quantities of bran -four, soaked
grain, potatoes-sWeet and irish
carrots and canned milk. Gunda
was captured last November for the
Washington Zoo in the wilds of
Assam. south of the Himalayas, on
a frontier beyond which white men
do not venture without a permit
from the British government and an
armed guard.
The government forest service
undertook the hunt at request of
United States Consul General John
Campbell while at Calcutta, a friend
OF William NJ Mann, ZOO director.
Young Gunda blundered into pit
dug by native trackers, and a spe-
cial road was chopped six miles
through the jungle so that he could
be brought out in motor truck.
Since then Gunda remained at the
ZOO in Calcutta, where he became
fond OF his Hindu keeper and fol-
lowed him about like a dog. Mr..
Davis, who accompanied DR.. Mann
on his expedition to Sumatra, left
Washington early in March in the
City of Rayville to return Gunda
and whatever other rare specimens
might be available.
Reached Calcutta in May.
The ship arrived in Calcutta early
in May. Mr.. Davis had a crate
specially constructed for Gunda but
found it could not be moved into
the space available for the ami
mails, and there was no room be-
tween decks. While the vessel lay in
port, with the temperature well
over 100 daily, Mr.. Davis started
building pen for Gunda. Then he
built a runway.
On the day before sailing, about
the middle of May, Mr.. Davis and
Gunda's Hindu keeper coaxed him
down the runway into his pen and
the crate was slowed below. The
process had to be reversed today,
but Gunda had come to know Mr..
Davis on the long Journey and made
no trouble about the transfer. The
animals will be expressed to Wash
ington later today
Mr.. Davis. asked what his plans
were after he gets his menagerie
safely home, replied he hoped to
have some leave coming to him.
will you collect more animals?"
We'll, now. l don't know" said
Mr.. Davis, who has spent many
previous vacations trapping birds in
Central America.
Il do!' said Mrs Davis.