BEARS 
ESCAPE OF POLAR BEAR. 
During the time Mr. A. Miller was Superintendent of 
the Zoological Society’s Gardens the large Polar bear 
managed to escape from the place in which he was kept. 
He was discovered, a little before six o’clock one morning, 
seated among the shrubs in the Gardens, by Mr. Groom, 
the wire-worker and cage-maker of Great College Street. 
An alarm was immediately raised, and all the keepers were 
assembled armed with forks and sticks and anything else 
available. The head-keeper, James Hunt (with that care 
that becomes a thoughtful husband and father) made the 
best of his way to the apartments where his wife and 
children slept at the back of the old, or circular, aviary. 
Telling his wife of the danger, he closed the shutters of 
the windows and locked the door, making sure of their 
being safe. He then proceeded to the scene of action. 
Our white friend looked steadily at the pale faces, and, 
not appearing anxious to try his strength, he walked 
leisurely away from the crowd, who, like most other 
crowds, felt bound to follow. A strong cord being in 
readiness and carried by Hunt, was thrown lasso-like and 
with good aim, the noose having caught over the animal’s 
head. He at once made off, and quickly got over some 
palings ; but here a struggle took place. The men held on 
bravely, and the cord fitted tighter round the neck of our 
Arctic traveller, who now put forth his power, so much 
so that, after several jerks and a determined pull, snap 
went the line close under his ear, leaving the noose fixed 
like a tight collar round his throat. With an angry growl 
and a scratch or two with his paws he managed to rid 
himself of the unpleasant bandage, then shaking himself 
155 
