NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK HOLLISTER 315 



The common skunk of the Eastern States (Memphitis nigra), the 

 marten (Maries americana), the fisher (Maries pennanti), and the 

 mink (Mustela vison) are all American species which are essentially 

 nocturnal and attract little attention in their cages from visitors to 

 the park. The neotropical tayra (Tayra barbara), on the con- 

 trary, is a friendly, active animal always ready to show himself to 

 visitors. 



The otter pens, along the stream above the beaver and sea lion 

 pools, offer an attractive show of the home life of animals. Here 

 a pair of American otters (Lutra canadensis) have reared their 

 young and the mother with her family can be seen. Otters are 

 very intelligent and playful animals and may easily be made at- 

 tractive pets. Moreover, since it is practicable to rear them in 

 captivity, the breeding of otters may be made a very pleasant and 

 profitable occupation, as the skins command a fine price in the fur 

 market. 



THE BEAR DENS 



• 



The park maintains a splendid collection of bears and few animals 

 attract so much attention from the public as do these interesting 

 creatures. The dens are conveniently and pleasantly located on the 

 west side of the main highway through the park where the animals 

 have ideal conditions for comfort and health. 



The polar bears (T halarctos niaritimus) are confined to the Arctic 

 regions. On the Atlantic coast of America they formerly occurred 

 regularly south to Labrador. White at all seasons, active in the cages 

 and pool, and expert swimmers, the polar bears are great favorites in 

 the park. Contrary to general belief, the polar bears do not parti- 

 cularly suffer from the summer heat of Washington. It is to be 

 remembered that there are many warm days in summer in their 

 native home and that during this season the bears commonly go 

 ashore and subsist for periods almost wholly upon a vegetable diet. 

 During most of the remainder of the year the food of the polar bear 

 consists mainly of the flesh of seals. A polar bear in the park at 

 one time weighed 760 pounds. 



The European brown bear (Ursus arctos) is the bear usually 

 seen accompanying itinerant street exhibitions. It naturally stands 

 erect on its hind feet much more than do the other bears and is, 

 consequently, much more readily trained for such purposes. Many 

 young of this species have been reared in the park. 



The great and confusing variety of bears found in northwestern 

 America has puzzled naturalists since the first discovery of those 

 huge beasts. Some of the brown bears of Alaska, notably those of 

 the Alaskan Peninsula and Kadiak Island, are the largest of all 

 living species and appear to be intimately related to the brown bears 



