Popular Official Guide to the New York Zoological Park 20

Popular Official Guide to the New York Zoological Park 20

The Zoological Society has put forth considerable effort in constructing

a series of nine large Bear Dens which provide ideal conditions for

their inmates. Bears do not need _buildings_! Their habits call for

large, open yards, properly situated, with snug and dry sleeping-dens

attached, to which they can retire whenever they wish. To them, masonry

walls are worse than useless, for they cut off sunlight and promote

dampness; but rocks and trees upon which to climb are very beneficial.

In warm weather, all bears are fond of bathing, and a bathing pool in

each cage is very necessary.

 

_It is cruelty to animals_ for visitors to throw peanuts, or food of any

kind, into our bear dens; and it is _strictly forbidden_. All persons

who do not wish to be reprimanded in public, or arrested, are advised to

refrain from it. Teasing with food always irritates bears, sets them to

fighting, spoils their dispositions and _renders them dangerous to the

keepers who have to go in with them_! _All visitors who are law-abiding,

and friendly to the Zoological Society, are requested to assist the

keepers and policemen in preventing lawless persons from throwing food

into the bear dens._ A stern reprimand often prevents serious trouble.

 

[Illustration: POLAR BEARS.

Showing a portion of their den and pool cut from the solid rock.]

 

The bears of North America form four well-defined groups, as follows:

 

 

The Polar Bear.

The Grizzly Bear.

The Alaskan Brown Bears.

The Black Bears, and their allies.

 

 

Up to this date (April 1, 1913), 24 species and subspecies have been

described, and it is reasonably certain that much more work remains to

be done on the members of this group of animals before the status of

each valid and invalid species will be rendered thoroughly clear.

 

The most noteworthy species are as follows:

 

THE MOST IMPORTANT SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BEARS.

 

_Ursus maritimus_, (Desm.), Polar Bear. Arctic

regions generally.

The Brown Bears. _Ursus middendorffi_, (Merriam), Kadiak Bear.

Kadiak Is., Alaska.

_Ursus dalli_, (Merr.), Yakutat Bear. Yakutat Bay,

Alaska.

_Ursus eulophus_, (Merr.), Admiralty Bear.

Admiralty Is., Alaska.

_Ursus gyas_, (Merr.), Peninsula Bear. Portage

Bay, Alaska Peninsula.

The Grizzly Bears. _Ursus Horribilis_, (Ord.), Grizzly Bear:

Silver-Tip. Wyoming and Utah to Alaska.

_Ursas horribilis horriaeus_, (Baird), Mexican

Grizzly. Southwestern New Mexico.

_Ursus richardsoni_, (Swainson), Barren-Ground

Grizzly. Great Slave Lake region, and

Barren-Grounds.

The Black Bears. _Ursus americanus_, (Pallas), Black Bear. Eastern

North America.

_Ursus luteolus_, (Griffith), Louisiana Bear.

Louisiana and Texas.

_Ursus floridanus_, (Merr.), Everglade Bear.

Florida.

_Ursus emmonsi_, (Dall), Glacier Bear. St. Elias

Alps, Yakutat Bay.

_Ursus kermodei_, (Hornaday), Inland White Bear.

Northwestern British Columbia.

 

The Polar Bear, (_Ursus maritimus_).—In nearly every collection of

living bears the individuals of this species are the most showy and

attractive. Their white coats quickly catch the eye of the visitor, and

whether young or old, they are generally the most active and playful of

all captive bears. In cold weather, when other bears lie in the sun, or,

if permitted, curl up in the straw of their sleeping dens, the Polar

Bear will disport himself in the freezing cold water of his swimming

pool, and joyously play with a cake of ice until the sight of it makes

one shiver.

 

The Polar Bear Den is situated at the north end of Rocking-Stone Hill,

about two hundred feet from the north end of the main series of Bear

Dens. It is reached by descending the steps leading toward the Beaver

Pond, and turning to the right. From the Rocking-Stone Restaurant, the

Polar Bears are quickly reached by descending the hill toward the north.

 

Although the Polar Bear inhabits practically the whole of the Arctic

Ocean and its numerous islands, it is by no means the most northerly

warm-blooded mammal. Nansen found fox tracks at 85° N., but the most

northerly bear observed was on the 84th parallel. The favorite home of

this animal is the edge of the great polar ice cap, where Neptune and

the “Frost King” wage continuous warfare. He seldom ventures more than a

day’s journey inland, on any shore. In winter, as the edge of the

ice-pack moves southward, and in summer when it retreats northward, he

follows it in order to keep in touch with the ringed seals and walrus

that also go with it.

 

[Illustration: POLAR BEAR “SILVER KING.”]

 

The power of the Polar Bear to resist ice-cold water—nay, even to enjoy

it—may fairly be regarded as one of the wonders of Nature. On the coast

of Alaska this strange creature will plunge into the Arctic Ocean and

swim miles from shore, through tossing fields of broken ice, and

wherever the mother leads, her cubs follow.

 

In the Autumn of 1910, the sealing steamer “_Boethic_” arrived at New

York bringing two adult Polar Bears that were captured in the summer of

that year by Mr. Paul J. Rainey. Both animals were presented to the

Zoological Society, and the largest one called “Silver King” occupies

the cage that was specially built for the polar bears, and the female is

exhibited in very comfortable quarters, built for her near that

installation. Owing to their savage temper neither of these bears ever

can be kept with other bears, nor can any keeper ever enter the cage of

either. “Silver King” weighs 880 pounds and is probably the largest

Polar Bear ever captured alive and unhurt. While the female is not as

large as “Silver King,” she is in every way as perfect a specimen.

 

The Yakutat Bear, (_Ursus dalli_).—In 1899, we received from Hudson

Lake, Copper River District, Alaska, two young Alaskan Brown Bears which

for some time we believed would prove to represent the species found on

Kadiak Island. In this belief they were for a time labeled as Kadiak

Bears, (_U. middendorffi_), and so entered provisionally in previous

editions of the Guide Book. The maturity of the animals has proven that

this supposition was erroneous. The extremely short and thick muzzle of

the adult male proves conclusively that they are not identical with the

long-skulled species of Kadiak. This interesting pair, absolutely

identical in color with _middendorffi_, are now identified, pending

further revisions of our _Urisdae_, as _Ursus dalli_.

 

[Illustration: SYRIAN BEAR.]

 

This species, and the two following, well represent the group of big

Alaskan Brown Bears, which are quite distinct from the grizzlies and

blacks. They are characterized by their great size, high shoulders,

massive heads, shaggy brown pelage, and large claws. They live chiefly

upon salmon, which they catch from the small streams, but they also

devour great quantities of _grass_.

 

The Peninsula Bear, (_Ursus gyas_), of Moeller Bay, well down the

Alaskan Peninsula, may at once be recognized by its light

brownish-yellow color, and its great size for a bear born in 1904. Its

claws are of enormous thickness.

 

This animal is now beyond doubt one of the two largest bears in

captivity, his only rival being in the Zoological Park at Washington.

 

The Admiralty Bear, (_Ursus eulophus_), represents a large species

originally discovered on Admiralty Island, southern Alaska. Its dark

brown color is very much like that of the Yakutat and Kadiak bears.

 

The Grizzly Bear, or “Silver-Tip Grizzly,” (_Ursus horribilis_).—The

rapid disappearance of this species from the United States renders all

living examples of it specially interesting.

 

Of all bears, the Silver-Tip Grizzly is the most savage and dangerous.

He is easily angered, and when wounded or harried not only becomes

furiously vindictive, but he also possesses a degree of courage which

renders him a dangerous antagonist. As a general thing, a Grizzly Bear,

like a lion or tiger, will run as soon as he discovers the presence of

his only enemy—man; but if he is wounded or cornered—or _thinks_ he is

cornered—he assumes the aggressive, without an instant’s delay.

Unfortunately, the largest Silver-Tip Grizzlies ever killed have been

too far from scales to make it possible to weigh them.

 

The most interesting specimen of the Rocky Mountain Silver-Tip now on

exhibition is a dark-colored and very handsome specimen, named

“Engineer,” obtained in Meeker, Colorado, by Professor Henry F. Osborn,

and presented to the Society by the Engineers’ Club of New York City.

The color of this individual is darker than the most common type of the

Silver-Tip, which is sometimes almost as gray as a badger.

 

A very beautiful male Silver-Tip, from Wyoming, is much lighter in color

than the Colorado specimen. Its face and head are so light-colored it

would be called by Rocky Mountain hunters a “Bald-Faced” Grizzly. A

third specimen was obtained for the Society at White Horse, Yukon

Territory, in 1905, and its development will be watched with much

interest. Throughout the Rocky Mountain region the “Silver-Tip” and the

“Grizzly” are identical; but the color of the species varies

considerably.

 

In a wild state Grizzly Bears live on berries and fruits of all kinds

available, succulent roots, grubs, carrion if it comes handy, and live

game if it can be killed. In the cattle-growing states bordering the

Rocky Mountains, owing to their cattle-killing propensities, a bounty of

from twelve to fifteen dollars per head is paid for their destruction.

 

The Black Bear, (_Ursus americanus_).—Until quite recently all black

bears in North America were referred to a single species, with the type

of which most persons are familiar. Even during the last twenty years

living representatives of the Black Bear group have been found in nearly

every state and territory of the United States, and also in northern

Mexico, Labrador, Province of Quebec, Alberta, Assiniboia, British

Columbia, Alaska, and the Mackenzie River basin. Our collection contains

Black Bears representing several widely separated localities.