The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-25
WILD ANIMAL MARKET GOOD.
Prices Raised by the south African
War.

war.
From the New York Evening Post
Heinrich Hagenbeck of Hamburg, son
of Carl Hagenbeck. the famous dealer in.
wild animals, who has been in this city
for the past week, left yesterday for Bal
etimore to receive a consignment of ami
mails now due. Just before leaving he
said to a reporter that the market for
wild animals was never so good it is
now, and continued: This is largely due
to the number of new geological gardens
which are being started all over the Unit
ed States. They have them now at De-
troit Chattanooga. Buffalo. Chicago. Gin
cinnati, Pittsburg Philadelphia, Provl-
dence and New York
In the cargo due there is giant sala-
mander from Japan, three wart-hogs
from North Africa and Abyssinia, Anona
anteopes, horsetail antelopes, which the
showmen win probably call "horned
horses" a Markhoor ihex, black drill
monkey" which is like the ordinary man
drill except that the face is black instead
of blue, some echdnas, the strange egg
laying mammals of Australia. the first
ever brought alive to This country, and
thirty-foot Indian python. The drill
monkey" is the largest specimen of his
kind of which we have any record.
Among trained animals there is team
consisting on an elephant, a pony,
boar-hound, and a monkey. The elephant
is one of the few that have learned to
ride a bicycle
lis 1t true that the South African war
has affected the price of wild animals2
Mr.. Hagenbeck was asked.
1T certainly has" said Mr.. Hagenbeck.
"All South African animals have risen
in price, when they are not out of the
market entirely. A zebra, for instance,
which could be bought for 5000 or $500 a
vii hri q
and 1t is hard to quote any exact fig
ures in regard TO the prices of animals,
as much depends on the condition of
the particular specimen. But to come
back to Africa. We had two men just
starting for the interior when the war
broke out. We have not heard from them
since. OF course, they can collect moth
ing until hostilities are over The same
thing happened 10 our agents in Manila
when the city was captured by Admiral
Dewey. We had a big collection there, all
ready to be shipped. but there was no
way of sending 1t. Our men held to the
cages as long as they could, for the col
lection was valuable, but affairs in that
part of the world We're in TOO chaotic a
condition for him to get any protection
for his property. All the animals finally
fell into the hands of the Fiipinoe, who
slaughtered and ate them.
THAT, it is said, is just what the Beers
in South Africa. Giraffe meat is excel
lent eating. and the skins make good
leather. Anyhow, they are being killed
Off faster than ever, and 1t is really
doubtful II there will be any left when
the war Is over. People do not realize
how rapidly the giraffe Is becoming ex-
tinct, in captivity as well as in wild
state. Az present 1 do not think there
is single living giraffe in America. There
were three a few years ago. but they have
all died. In Europe I know of but six.
Two are in London, one in Berlin, one
in Antwerp, one in Paris and one in
Frankfort. All but two of these are old
animals. and cannot live many years
years longer
1T has also become next to impossible
to procure the rhinoceros. The animals
are not extinct, but they have retired
so Tar up into Central Africa that II n
difficult 10 get to them, and harder still
to get them back to the coast when
caught You cannot put rhinoceros on
mule back neither can you make a
newly caught animal perform long
marches, as If he were trained and docile.
The African elephant has also become
much scarcer of late years. owing largely,
I think, to the havoc made by English
sportsmen. The Indian elephant is so
much his superior. however. that the loss
does not affect us much We have twelve
Indian elephants on shipboard now, by
the way, and shall have them in Ham
burg by the middle of the month.
1.-THE Gland and the zebra of South Ar
RIGA are not yet extinct, and we expect
the supply OF them to come up as soon
as the war Is over.
"By the way" called Mr. Hagenbeck,
as the reporter was just about to close
the door behind him. ut might interest
New Workers to know that ] saw in Am
sterdam few months ago a young hip
popotamus which was born here in Cen
trail Park. 1t is rather strange for
America to be shipping African anmlls
to Europe. but she does 1t, it seems"