The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-04-13
B0UNTIES FOR WILD BEASTS.
Animals With Prices on Their
Heads.

There is a story that Sir Even Cameron
Of Locheil; killed the last British wolf in
1850. says London Answers. But there were
wolves in Sutherland sixty years later. and
little more than a century has passed since
the last Irish wolf met its end. We who
are free from wolves can hardly realize
what a pest and danger they are In other
parts of the world.
The French Governments bill for wolf
killing in 1888 was over S25.00O. l.316 pairs OF
ears having been brought in; and even in
1899 over fl.2O was paid. The bounty is
given not only for ~full-grown wolves. but
cubs also. Oddly enough, wolves are prac-
tically extinct in the Alps and Pyrenees.
most OF those killed being found in the
central Provinces and in Alsace-Lorraine.
was seen near Metz.
Russia is supposed to be infested by over
a quarter Of a million wolves. In one year
irecently 2S Russians were killed by these
tcreatures. and the damage to live stock
was set at a million and a half sterling.
pThe w~olf-hunters. who usually use a live
Prom the Russian Government. and. as the
tskins are worth eight or ten shillings
iapiece. they find their sport very profitable.
Norway and Sweden pay a similar price
FLOR dead wolves. which exist in great num-
fbers In the mountains. These countries also
pay about "a each for bears. In Scandinavia
" whole village generally combines In a
bear hunt. and a kill OF four or five in the
day is not uncommon.
India suffers more seriously from wild an
iimals and reptiles than any other part of
1.-THE word, in spite of the thickness OF its
Population. The natives are generally too
feuperstitious or cowardly to war against
the creatures, which prey upon them. Last
year 25.i6s human beings were killed by
snakes and wild animals, of whom reptiles
accounted for p, sOl. Over 5000 cattle were
also destroyed.
Thu Indian Government pays reward for
almost every kind of harmful beast or
snake. Last year a total Of $4,000 was paid
out for the deaths of Is, 116 wild animals
and 10S, 3SJ reptiles.
SIN 1851 dingoes-the Australian wild dogs
killed sheep to the estimated value OF $780,
0Qe. But the bounty OF 10 shillings a head
has been the cause of eKterrninating these
pestilant beasts for a long distance from the
coast. There are plenty of them still. how
ever. OF u~p-country ranches. and their de-
structiveness may be judged by the fact
that Il single one of these yellow-haired
brutes will kill a dozen sheep in a night.
But all other bounty giving fades into
3nsignliicance compared with the enormous
gums spent by New Zealand and New South
Wales I'm their efforts TO cope with the ever
increasing plague of rabbits. After. vainly
ftryins to fence out the growing hordes. the
forced 10 offer a bounty for each rabbit
Killed.
bra penny a tail was the usual amount paid.
This took effect in New South Wales in 1888,
and since then about 10000 has been ex-
pended by this Government alone. The
slaughter NAV be imagined by the fact that
In one year twenty-seven millions were paid
rfor.
:blThe latest animal upon which a Govern
ment war has been declared is the rat. 1t
has been proved conclusively that rats carry
plague Infection. SO many towns all over
e.. w tsils. ar sy Sney,ns Se 4 psoaia s &Rsi... 'f Is
Nene. and Copenhagen, another. In the lat
Ter city the kills of the first three weeks
we're 6.0e4. s.6Is and $50. The number has
believed that by the end OF 1907 rats will
- getting scarce In Denmark.