Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1876 — Terrible Fight Between Polar Bears. [ARTICLE]

Terrible Fight Between Polar Bears.

The Cologne Gazette contains an account of a combat which took place in the Zoo logical Gardens of that city between two t*olar bears, which, that journal remarks, “ a Roman emperor would assuredly have paid a million sestertii to witness.” These two bears had been brought from Spiteberg five years ago, and had been placed in a large pit, with a tank in the center. Until within the last few days they had remained upon excellent terms with each other, but last week a quarrel occurred between them, tiie result of which was that the female bear took refuge upon the summit of a large rock in one corner of the pit. The mate did not attempt to follow her, and she remained there three days, when, pressed by hunger, she descended again. As soon as the male bear

saw her he immediately rushed at her and attacked her with his forepaws. The keepers attempted to separate them, and belabored the male with heavy iron bars, but the bones in the head of the Polar bear are so much harder than those of the ordinary bear that these blows took no effect. The male bear continued to wreak his vengened upon his companion, and. after having almost torn her body into ribbons, he dragged her to the bottom of the tank and held her there until he felt assured that all sign of life was extinct. He then brought her body back to the floor of the pit and dragged it round the tank for nearly an hour. After this he withdrew into his sleeping den to rest from his labors, and the keepers at once closed the iron bars upon him. Having examined the body of the dead bear, they found that it had received more than a hundred wounds; the neck and head were crushed almost to a jelly, and the flesh was hanging in strips from the back and sides. During the whole combat neither of the bears uttered a cry or sound of any kind; but, except in this particular, it must have borne a singular resemblance to what may sometimes be seen In Lancashire without paying a million sestertii.— Pall Mall Gazette.