Popular Official Guide to the New York Zoological Park 16
The African Two-Horned Rhinoceros once was very abundant throughout the
whole of the fertile plains region of east and south Africa, but the
onslaughts of hunters have exterminated it from probably nine-tenths of
the territory that it once occupied. To-day, the Englishmen of Africa
are earnestly endeavoring to regulate and abate the slaughter of African
big game, and beyond doubt safe, good results in that line are being
accomplished. It is to be hoped that the protection lines will now be
drawn so tightly around the game that remains that it will be
perpetuated for centuries to come.
[Illustration: INDIAN RHINOCEROS.]
The Indian Rhinoceros, (_Rhinoceros unicornis_).—A full-grown Indian
Rhinoceros is one of the most wonderful of all living animals. It seems
like a prehistoric monster, belonging to the days of the dinosaurs,
rather than a creature of to-day; and the killing of so grand a creature
solely for the sake of “sport,” and a stuffed head to hang upon a wall,
is murder, no less. It is quite time that the most wonderful works of
animated Nature should universally be recognized as safe from attack
with the rifle and knife.
So pronounced is the rarity of the great Indian Rhinoceros, it is a fact
that for nearly fifteen years no living specimens came into the
wild-animal market. At last, however, the persistence and industry of
the renowned Carl Hagenbeck was rewarded by the capture, in 1906, of
four young specimens, all of which reached Hamburg in May, 1907. One of
the best specimens of the quartette was purchased for the New York
Zoological Park, and is now living in the Park in the quarters prepared
for him at the Elephant House.
[Illustration: PYGMY HIPPOPOTAMI.]
The Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros is the largest of all living
rhinoceroses. A full-grown male is about 5 feet, 6 inches in shoulder
height, and 10 feet 6 inches long from end of nose to root of tail. The
length of the horn is not great, rarely exceeding 12 inches. The skin is
very thick, and lies upon the animal in great rigid slabs which are
divided by articulating areas of thinner skin.
The Hippopotamus, (_Hippopotamus amphibius_), is more frequently seen in
captivity than any of the large rhinoceroses, or the African elephant.
In the lakes and large rivers of central East Africa it still exists in
fair numbers, and still is killed for “sport.”
Strange as it may seem, this very inert and usually lethargic monster
can, under what it deems just provocation, become very angry, and even
dangerous. Four years ago, in one of the rivers of Uganda, a
hippopotamus not only overturned a boat, but killed one of its native
occupants by biting him.
The Hippopotamus breeds readily in captivity, even under poor
conditions, and the supply for the zoological gardens of the world is
chiefly maintained in that way. The fine male specimen exhibited in the
Zoological Park was purchased from the Central Park Menagerie, for
$3,000, and is a gift from Mr. Samuel Thorne. He was born on July 13,
1904. His weight on November 1, 1909, at five years of age, was 3,114
pounds; and he is growing rapidly.
The Pygmy Hippopotamus (_Hippopotamus liberiensis_), is a great
zoological novelty, and second in rarity only to the okapi. Thus far
only five specimens ever have been exhibited. An adult Pygmy Hippo is
only _one-fourteenth_ the size of an adult Nile Hippo. Our three
specimens, a female and two males, are exhibited in the Elephant House.
They arrived in 1912, and were captured in Liberia, West Africa. The
cost price of the trio was $15,000. They have excellent appetites, never
have been ill, and they seem to enjoy their new home. Their habits,
capture, and their home surroundings have been fully described in the
_Bulletin_ (No. 52) and the Annual Report for 1912 of the Zoological
Society.
The Pygmy Hippopotamus is far more widely distributed throughout Liberia
than might be inferred from the surprising scarcity of specimens in
museums, and the long absence of the species from zoological gardens. It
is an inhabitant of swampy forests, and while it frequents rivers it is
not confined to them, like the large hippo. It seeks shelter from
molestation in large cavities in river banks, usually under the roots of
overhanging trees. These specimens were caught by digging pits in their
runways, with sides so steep that the captives could not climb out.
After capture, each animal was placed in a huge basket crate, slung
under a pole, and carried by natives over the rough forest trails to the
nearest river transportation.
The Tapirs.—Near the end of the Order of Hoofed Animals, (_Ungulata_),
is found the Tapir Family, represented in both the old world and the
new, by about five species. These very odd creatures inhabit the densest
forests of the tropics, where vegetation grows rankly, and few other
large hoofed animals can live. They are very fond of water, and swim
well.
The South American Tapir, (_Tapirus terrestris_), takes kindly to
captivity, breeds in confinement, and always manages to look well-fed
and as sleek as a seal. Its color is a rich mahogany brown, and its
long, prehensile nose is strongly suggestive of the end of an elephant’s
trunk. The shoulder height of a full-grown animal is about 37 inches.
This species inhabits Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay
and some other regions of South America. Some of the Central American
Tapirs inhabit mountain regions, but all are exceedingly wary, and
difficult to find without dogs.
The Malay Tapir, (_Tapirus indicus_), of the Malay Peninsula and
Sumatra, may be recognized as far as it can be seen, by its colors. The
front half of the animal, and its legs, are black or dark brown, and the
rear half of the body is white. It is much larger than the preceding
species.
THE WOLF DENS, No. 22.
At the northeastern corner of the Elk Range there is a huge, bare
granite rock, two hundred feet long, shaped precisely like the hump of a
bull buffalo. The high end of the hump is toward the north, and its
crest is about fifteen feet above the ground on its eastern side. A
fringe of small trees and bushes grows along its western side. On the
east side, well sheltered by the rock itself from the cold west winds of
winter, and also shaded by several fine trees which most opportunely
grow close beside the ledge, the Wolf Dens and Fox Dens are situated.
In regard to the iron work, these dens are merely an understudy of the
Bear Dens. The dimensions of each den of the series are 16 by 48 feet,
and the height of the bars to the top of the overhang is 9 feet 6
inches. The sleeping dens are of simple construction, all save one being
of wood, trimmed with bark-covered slabs. At present the Wolf Dens are
divided into four compartments.
The Gray Wolf, (_Canis nubilis_), is known by as many names as it has
color phases. In the North, where it is white, it is called the “White
Wolf,” while in Florida it becomes the “Black Wolf.” In British Columbia
and around Great Slave Lake, both white and black wolves abound, as well
as the standard gray, but on the Barren Grounds the white phase
predominates. In Texas a “Red Wolf” is found, but apparently the red
phase is of somewhat rare occurrence, and is never found in the North.
In the West this animal has recently come into prominence in a way that
is striking terror to the hearts of ranchmen and others who have stock
to lose. While all kinds of desirable game animals are decreasing at an
alarming rate, the Gray Wolf not only holds its own, but is multiplying
rapidly. The destruction by it of calves, colts and sheep, has become so
great that nearly every western State has placed on the head of this
bold marauder a bounty varying from $2 to $10. In some States this law
has been in force for several years, but with no sensible diminution in
the number of wolves.
[Illustration: TIMBER WOLF.]
The Gray Wolves which live in touch with civilization are by no means
such bold and dangerous animals as they formerly were. In the early
days, when wolves were numerous and fire-arms few and primitive, the
Gray Wolf undoubtedly was a dangerous animal. But the breech-loading
rifle has changed all this. Excepting for his stock-killing
propensities, the Gray Wolf is now a skulking creature. In the United
States this animal possesses the courage of a coyote, but in the Barren
Grounds it is still fierce and dangerous. However much the wolf may
skulk and flee when the way is open, when brought to bay he knows how to
fight. One snap of his powerful jaws and shear-like teeth is enough to
disable almost any dog, and send it howling to the rear. It is no wonder
that western dogs of experience are shy of approaching a Gray Wolf
within snapping distance.
Excepting the localities from which it has been driven out by
civilization, the Gray Wolf ranges over the whole North American
continent from central Mexico to 83° 24′ N.
The Coyote, or Prairie Wolf, (_Canis latrans_), is a personal
acquaintance of nearly every trans-continental traveler. To those who
have camped on the “plains,” he is quite like an old friend; and the
high-pitched, staccato cry—half howl and half bark—with which he
announces the dawn, is associated with memories of vast stretches of
open country, magnificent distances, sage-brush and freedom. Because of
his fondness of barking, Thomas Say, the naturalist who first described
this species, christened it, _Canis latrans_, which means “barking
wolf.”
[Illustration: COYOTE: PRAIRIE WOLF.]
This animal averages about one-third smaller than the gray wolf, and
while the finest male specimens are, in the autumn, really handsome
animals, at other times the majority are of very ordinary appearance. At
no time, however, even in the dark, is a Coyote a courageous animal. So
far as man is concerned, a band of a thousand coyotes would be as easily
put to flight as one; but in hanging upon the ragged edges of
civilization, and living by its wits, the Coyote is audacity itself. By
inheritance, and also by personal experience, this animal knows to a rod
how far it is safe to trust a man with a gun. If the hunter has left his
gun behind him, the Coyote knows it at once, and boldly flaunts himself
within stone’s throw of his enemy.
The Coyote varies in color quite markedly, exhibiting the gray, brown
and black phases. Formerly it was supposed that one species comprehended
all, but Dr. Merriam’s series of specimens from all parts of the West
and Southwest have led him to separate these animals into eleven
species.
THE FOX DENS, No. 23.
Of the many species of foxes found in North America, three species stand
forth as the types of prominent groups, and it is very desirable that
all three should be well known.
The Red Fox, (_Vulpes fulvus_), is the representative of the group which
contains also the cross fox and black fox of the Northwest. In spite of
dogs, traps, guns, spades and poison, this cunning creature persists in
living in close touch with the poultry yards of civilized man. His
perfect familiarity with old-fashioned dangers enables him to avoid them
all, and no sooner does a new danger menace him than he promptly invents
a way to escape it. The manner in which the Red Fox lives with
civilization without being exterminated really is surprising, and speaks
volumes for the astuteness of this animal.
The geographical range of the Red Fox is very wide, From North Carolina
and Tennessee it extends northward through the whole northeastern United
States, gradually bearing westward to Montana, and northward almost to
the Arctic Ocean. It is the commonest species in Alaska, where it is found practically everywhere
댓글 없음:
댓글 쓰기