WOES OF THE CAGED
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
Sra,—May I, not for myself, but lest the cause I have at heart go by default, answer some of Mr. Kingsford-Venner's charges ?
Your correspondent alludes to " our delightful jaguar ' Tubby,' who rolls on his back and lets you play with hint
like any kitten," and to those jolly little things, the budgerigars. " The only difficulty with these charming little birds is to stop them breeding." To take the birds first : has it occurred to Mr. Kingsford-Venner, as a Fellow of the Zoological Society, that the budgerigars may not have sufficient natural distractions, even in their " roomy aviaries," to keep them from the uxoriousness he deplores ; and, moreover, that many of them are not in aviaries at all (I wrote only of caged creatures) and are most unsuitably confined ?
As to their importation from Australia, surely he does not deny that it was attended by hideous cruelty and terrible mortality ? The lot of parrots may be worse to-day. We need not dispute over relative atrocities. Parrots, peacocks (and swans and cranes, now that I come to think of it) are birds that may be " half-wild and wholly tame." I know of green parrots and wild peacocks living near Indian villages that come aaily to be fed by temple priests. To compare them to hens seems rather trivial.
As regards the Lion House at the London Zoo, is it sensible
to argue from the particular to the general ? " Tubby " is a wise jaguar in making himself agreeable to his custodians, but even he, I think, would prefer his natural habitat to the privilege of playing with your correspondent.
The happiness or unhappiness of animals in captivity cannot be measured by their appearance to those who come to stare at them. Asoka, or better still, Saint Francis, had different standards. They believed in freedom ; Saint Francis so passionately that he would not allow the wild creatures, over whom he had a strange power, to attach themselves unduly to his person, preferring that they should glorify their Creator. Does any zoo glorify the Creator ?
Your correspondent says that I " appear to confuse " zoos with wild-beast shows. May I suggest that the con- fusion may be in his own mind ? The differences as well as the similarities are obvious " even to Major Yeats-Brown." As long as wild animals are caught to be exhibited, there must be cruelty in their capture and transport, whether their ultimate destination is a circus or a zoo. Dr. Chalmers- Mitchell and all concerned 'with the London Zoo (including, I am sure, your correspondent, who, much as he may dislike my saying so, agrees with me in many things) are anxious for the welfare of the animals in their charge. But that does not alter the fact that cruelty inevitably exists. Let us see if we cannot end its worst aspects as soon as possible.—
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