CHAPTER VI
THE GARDENS OF THE ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL SOCIETY, THE HAGUE (S’GRAVENAGE): DIRECTOR, DR. DIETZ
These Gardens were opened in 1863.
In 1902 many alterations and repairs were done to the concert-house, the stage, and the aquarium. The museum and the library were enlarged. Important restorations were made in one of the old pheasant houses and in the crane house.
In 1902 the following creatures were in the Gardens: 126 animals of 36 species; 767 birds of 220 species. The income of 1900 was £4,751; of 1901, £4,184.
The Zoological Gardens at ‘den Haag’ are very different from those at Amsterdam. On paying half a gulden at the entrance, we first come upon a pen occupied by a pair of peacocks. Close by is a guinea-pig and Dutch rabbit house, and then we reach an extremely rude Indian elephant, which throws sand at us. This animal is found in a house built in the Eastern style, with minarets, and has an open-air paddock. There is rather a nice aviary, containing parrots (some of which speak English as well as Dutch), jays and many other birds. Above the aviary is a museum.
Next we come to a funny little Himalayan bear, and a monkey house, with large open-air cages for summer use. After passing through some greenhouses full of plants and ferns, we find a nice collection of pheasants from Germany, China, New Guinea, the Himalayas, and Japan. These birds are housed in two long lines of pens, separated from each other by a greenhouse. In the centre of the Gardens, near a pond, is to be found a deer pen. On the back of one of the deer a jackdaw was perched, but unluckily he flew off before I could obtain a photograph of this somewhat unusual sight. Crows and jackdaws are often to be seen upon the backs of cows and sheep, but one would have imagined that a deer was too timid an animal to allow a large bird to perch upon it.
In the Gardens is a fine concert-hall; and here I may remark that in nearly all foreign Zoological Gardens there is such a music-hall, which on concert nights is packed to overflowing, adding largely to the revenue of the Gardens. It has always been a puzzle to me why our Council in London do not try to attract more people by the erection of such a hall and the engagement of the best artistes. An outdoor band appears to be the only attraction of the kind in our Gardens at home, such a thing as an evening concert being almost unheard of.
Close by the concert-hall is a reindeer shed, a llama paddock, a bear pit, and a very tame collie dog kept in a cage as a rarity. Close to a duck-pond containing sheldrake, wigeon, pochard and swans, there is a pen containing a kangaroo and young, some more llamas, and some zebus.