New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-22
THE WILD ANIMAL TRADE.
BIG GERMAN FIRMS CONTROL MOST
OF 1T.
EACH HAS A DIFFERENT F1ELD-THE LIFE VI
THE COLLECTOR - GIRAFFEs ExTREMEhi
RARE IN CIVILIZATION NOw-PRICLs
IN NETWORK OF BEATS.
SNAKES AND BIRDS.

tire tho nran-eating tiger in his native jungle
| IN tho contrary however they merely visit sea-
ports or under strong escorts, 90 10 ii""u
towns and purchase the animals from oeaie's
who are supplied by natives who make the actuai
captures Nevertheless the collectors occupa-
ton ia not without interest. and at times eA-
element
The three principal collectors OF WHO animals
are Charles Reiche, Of Alfeld, Germany D.
Menses of Trieste. Austria, and carl hasen-
back. Of Hamburg Germany. Their agent IN
this country Is William A. Conklin, OF NO.
Catharine-st. who was for many years director
OF the Central Park Menagerie. Their opera
tions are carried on. respectively, In South
africa. North Africa and india. Mr.. Conklin also
gathers North American animals by means OF
trainers in his employ j. b. Gaylord formerly
p T. Harnum's foreign agent for the COLLECTION
OF wild animals. etc. visits Ceylon, Burmah, the
Malay Peninsula, Sumatia. and other places IN
the far East for Donald Burns, OF No. l6s South
St William Bartels Of No. $50 Greenwicn-st'
sends agents to South America and other coun-
tries to collect animals and birds, and LOUIS
Ruhe. of No % North William-st.. does the
same. Meesrs Bartels and Ruhe receive most
Of the birds that are brought to this market
LONG JOURNEYS FOR THE ANIMALS
is mainly done by Charles Reiche who sends out
al expedition from Cape Town annually. MI
Reiche has an agent who lives all the time above
the Transvaal. He buys young animals from
natives who capture and bring them to him. The
natives receive pay In arms. ammunition pright-
colOred cloth, glass beads and other trinkets
After being bought the animals are kept In cor
rails until the arrival OF the annual expedition. by
which they are taken 10 Cape Town for snip
ment direct to Germany. Animals that can walk
are driven about $500 miles and. being young
and weak many die from exhaustion by the way
side Large lions and other full-grown wild ami
mails seldom captured, as they are untract-
able and cannot be easily accustomed to cap
tivity. 1t is customary to take cubs from their
mothers. which generally have to be killed before
their young can be secured. Lion cubs and other
small animals transported TO the seacoast
In rude cages on oxcarts.
The animals captured in South Africa are
mostly lions which regarded as superior to
Asatlc lions hyenas, leopards, giraffes. zebras.
Glands anteopes. a few elephants and many
monkeys. English sportsmen and ivory hunters
have killed so many elephants In this region that
they are now scarce also are hyenas. The
antelopes. OF which there are many varieties.
are often caught with the aid OF cheetah, or
hunting leopard trained for the purpose
Giraffes which captured when only about
one year old. also comparatively scarce
They are Of delicate physical organism and IN
able 10 withstand severe exposure. Out Of a lot
OF twenty that shipped for Germany from
Cape Town last year. only arrived alive.
One OF the importers mentioned told the reporter
that only six CRATES had arrived In Europe In
the last ten years and said that while giraffes
could be bought for 81 900 apiece eight or ten
wears ago. he would not now accept an order for
one 10 be delivered in this city for less than
$4,000
SOME RARE ANTELOPES
In North Africa J. Menges is the principal
animal collector Mr.. Menges, who has a resi-
dent agent in Abyssnia. has discovered In |
that region some five or six species Of antelopes
that were previously unknown. The trading Is |
all done by bartering weapons and gaudy trink- |
cts for animals Animals that are unable TO
walk TO the seacoast carried In Sudely con-
structed cages slung on poles between two |
camels one ahead OF the other. Most OF the |
animals are taken to Massowah. on the Red |
Sea whence they are either shipped direct 10
Hamburg in steamships. or to Marseilles and |
transported thence overland. Others are
shipped from Alexandria. Most OF the animals |
found in South Africa also found In North |
Africa In the latter region. In addition to the
species found in the former. there are double ana
and some other species. Toward Central Africa /
there are gorillas. chimpanzees. orang-outangs |
and myriads OF monkeys OF various kinds
E,lephants In North Africa have been so ex- |
tensiyely destroyed by sportsmen and gatherers |
OF ivory that young ones are scarce ana the |
lives no longer find II profitable to hunt Tor
them The wars that have been In progress |
in North Africa \fcr The last few years have /
interfered considerably with the collecting or
animals. Tribal disturbances In Central AFRICA
and the remoteness have practically prevented
animal collectors from penetrating TO the neart
OF the Dark Continent
SHIPMENTS FROM INDIA.
In the interior OF India Carl Hagenback has
agents who buy wild animals from the native
hunters for money. and send them TO Bonn
bay Calcutta and other ports for shipment 70
Hamburg The animals include elephants,
lions tigers thosc from Bengal being REGARDED
az the finest In the world. leopards and rhi-
noceroses The Indian Government. requiring
elephants for military service. no longer permits
them to be killed or captured Prior TO TINS
rastr,ction so many were killed by sportsmen
and ivory hunters that they became scarce.
Indian elephants can now be procured only py
purchase from their owners. and are extremely
dear Most OF the elephants now captured Tor
exhibition purposes come from Ceylon. Burman,
the MALAY Peninsula Sumatra and Borneo.
The principal animals that come from South
America are leopards. jaguars. partners cana
haras (small water animals Ike hppopotami).
tapirs monkeys and Other small creatures Most
OF them are sold TO Portuguese Joe. an amman
dealer In Para but many are bought by the cap
tains Of steamships who bring them to this city
speculation.
The North American animals captured are
mainly bears OF different species. wolves. elk.
sea lions and beavers. Buffaoes are virtually
extinct Elk are shipped hence to Europe by the
carload.
TREASURES IN THE SNAKE LINE.
Boa constructors and rythons come from India
and Brazil. In India they are caught in basket
traps or snares which are placed over the mouths
of the holes In which they live but in Brazil the
natives fearlessly capture them with their bare
hands.
Ostriches come from South Africa Australia