The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-03-24
VISITING A LION FARM
HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE REARED
FOR THE MENAGERlES.

Fsan Lion Kennel Must BE an Interesting
Place For = Man In Armor.
For the last 1000 years the seaports of
northern Africa have been the principal
supply stations Of the geological curiosity
market. During the palmy days of the
Circus Maximus the Roman proconsul
in Hippo Regius had special instructions
to supervise the weekly shipments of
wild beasts. and u menagerie owners
still import a large percentage of their
i've stock from Oran and Algiers. The
latter city, especially. has become a rem
devious of international pet dealers, and
on my last visit to Antwerp Captain FL
lard. the travelling agent of the famous
Hagenbeck sale m%enagerie, gave me an
interesting account of a lion kennel in
the neighborhood of the ancient capital
Of the Algerian pirates.
In the arcades of the Palace Royalc
and all along the steamboat wharves
strangers are troubled by the importu-
mites of beast dealers who bawl out the
merits of their pets. and in the ardor Of
competition will not hesitate to thrust a
tame monkey into the arms of a possible
purchaser. AT d tent near the piazza Of
a French hotel Captain Ellard saw Il ma
tive Arab with a dozen young lions. va
rying in price from 10 to Is francs. but
learning that the trader was merely a
salesman of a wild beast farm in the
outskirts of the Carbah, the hill Suburb
Of Algiers. he resolved to apply at head
ur,ortarc IHnuyinr Frnp, ,v,,r;n,o <1,x
stock breeders are apt to keep their best
specimens at home.
The captains guide conducted him
through. rubbish heaps and bramble
patches to an inclosed garden. which at
first look might have been mistaken for
one of the numerous yeslras. or orchard
farms. in the neighborhood of the Al
gerian coast towns. But when they en-
tered the gate a young baboon leaped
down from the low stone wall and raced
toward his mother. who snatched him up
in her arms and hurried off with cough
ing barks of alarm.
"Please keep on this side of the road"
said the guide. There's a she jackal
with pups under that bush over yonder.
and she's very apt to fly at a stranger"
ANY way you please, Is that the
owner of the placer" pointing to an old
Arab. who was busy cleaning ont II bar
red den apparently natural IA v fitted
up for the purpose of a kennel.
Yes. that's the sheikh; that's Ben
Koffa. said the guide. He used to be
chief of a little mountain tribe. but the
war ruined them. He's all right now
They cant break up his present business
as long as the people in Franciscan buy
wood devils" (shat-ei-K amr- generic
name for carnivurous animals. or ''ver
mint. as our trappers would call them).
The sheikh dropped his rake and wei
coined the captain. who stepped back to
save his clothes from two baby lions that
had squeezed out Of their cage and began
to play with his rousers.
Some half grown brethren of the young
baboon had emerged from their hiding
place under the house and at once pro-
oeeded to illustrate their peculiar talent
by upsetting a dish of milk before tho
old Arab could kick them out of the way.
Seeing one Of the young ions help HIM
self to the spilled milk. they grabbed
him by the tail and got their faces
scratched for their trouble. but in the
ensuing scrimmage four pairs of fists
threatened to prevail against two pairs Of
immature claws, when the old lioness in
the cage rose up with a menacing growl
that sent the Islanders scampering off
with screams Of dismay. One of the Sc
pior balloons then appeared on the scene.
but vanished like a shot when the sheikh
made a grab for his rake. The captain
burst out laughing.
You may believe it keeps me busy to
stralghten out this mob of rascals." said
the old Arab. but in the long run it's
the cheapest plan to give them as much
freedom as possible. They live just
twice as long and are not so apt to get
baldheaded with homesickness."
But suppose those young scemps
should run into a gang of your ja...Als,
would not some of them be apt to get
badly hurtT'
Il don't think they would" said the
sheikh, They get along in peace just
the same as out in the wilderness. Jack
ais. you know. live on meat and balloons
on berries and roots, so they do not in
tertere with each others business. 1t
would be different with some other crea-
lures. | have a cageful of wildcats from
Mount Atlas. and when one of them got
N a few weeks ago you could hear my
dogs and jackals howl all over the town.
ship. A dog and all his cousins seem to
have an idea that a small sized cat has
got no right to be alive anyhow. About
the big cats. like lions and leopards. they
are a little more careful" .
How many of the big kind have you
altogether
Five leopards and 90 lions" said the
sheikh. They are in the main kennel
on the other side of the wall, but it's
safer to keep the younger ones near the
house"
1T must cost you a pretty penny to
feed all those b~oarders?'
"Yes, but scrap meat is cheap in a
place like this. Why. do you know that
you can get some of it for less than moth
ing2 The city several times paid me 5
francs a haul for carting off dead horses