The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-24
GIRAFFES DEAR AND SCARCE.
THEY ARE THE COSTLIEST OF
All TIE WILD ANNALS.
As Delicate to Handle as Bric.a.IIrso
-Camels AlAO bad sailOrs-Risks OF
the Wild ANNUAL Trade That Make
Prices Higil-A Deal In RhinOc crosses.

the Wild ANNUAL Trade That Make
Prices High--A Deal In RhinOce crosses.
What is the most valuable animal now"
was asked of one Of the most experienced
wild animal collectors and dealers Of the
United States.
1.-THE giraffe" he answered. at is the
most expensive animal now, not only because
it is rather rare, but because it is at the same
time one Of the most difficult to catch and
to keep after you catch it, and the worst
kind Of an animal to ship.
"A captured giraffe has to be handled
like brio -brac. And it is a mighty big
piece OF brio -a-brac, too.
Imagine a delicately carved cabinet
! twelve feet high, as crazy as whole lunatic
asylum and as powerful and quick and
dangerous as an automobile. 1t may 10
hard to ina CINE such a thing, but it isn't
any harder than ii is to handle fully grown
giraffe.
"A wild animal dealer has to take all the
risks. The shows and menageres and
parks that buy from him don't pay for
an animal until it is delivered. Conse-
ouently the risk Is enormous and we have
to charge a price that will make up for
the danger OF loss
-Now we have just had one experience
that illustrates my point. We shipped an
immense lot OF exceptionally fine animals
in Calcutta-four baby elephants, five tigers
from Bengal, four leopards and about two
hundred cranes, some Of which were so
rare that they had not even been identified
by Indian zoologsts We also had thirty
Ave serpents, among them python twenty
feet long.
well, our animal men who accompa-
MED the shipment got them through all
right for thirty-three days until we struck
the Newfoundland banks, when sleet storm
hammered the ship. and for a night she
labored through tremendous icy seas that
swept her decks continually.
Canvas and straw were piled around the
animals and everything was done by our
men that was possible. But when nothing
came three elephants, three tigers, two
leopards, almost all tire rare craneS and
every one of the snakes lay dead and had
to be thrown overheard.
This shows why wild animals cost 80
much. And there are many other risks.
Last year one of the big American animal
dealers heard from beast catcher IN Ran
coon that he had seven fine full-grown
rhinoceroses in perfect condition.
He sent d CaDle lutrsdsC az uSCOH'AiS
the animals and then hurriedly had timbers
cut and shaped to build the great pens that
are necessary to hold powerful beasts like
these on a steamship. The expense OF
these pens and the fre!ght charges l1r
way round the world made big item in
themselves Then there were the expenses
Of the dealer and the three assistants whom
he had to take with him.
thew found a difficult trip into the interior
before them. They had to drag the heavy
timbers for the pens with them, knowing
from bitter previous experience that the
Oriental animal catchers would be PROVIDED
and strong enough so long as they ar"
stationary, but almost sure to work apart
when they are moved over bad roads,
AT last they reached their obiectivn
point and then, after an Their ' work s;d ahu
and poor specimens. Not one of them
was in condition to be shipped even to tn"
coast not to mention the long voyag"
to America. So here were almost four
months wasted, many thon s;n o, o 10, ths
very time when a dozen menaRerl"s "'I''
| Offering big amounts of money for sPeci-
mems. h,rJ
| lob Sailors are afraid of wild animals
and they handle the cargoes wlti sncn
unwillingness that they often drop cage
| into the hold and kill or injurr the oeaSS
F., because they are afraid to get near enough
| to it to guide or swing it properly. o,ce
Il have often put my arm INTO ,.c "a case
| and rubbed tiger or lion merely III oroer
| to show the crew of the ship that they ne nee,
! not be apprehensive, But they geheIahliin
don't do anything except to grli sheePs"'S
s'AIl right, mister. You're welcome m
to do them kind Of foolish things all 70"
please. We'd rather not
The CONSEQUENCE is tnrt WI, when yes.s stG and
comes and the seas sweep lne s ressu no."
the wild animal men rarely get any helP
| from the crew and many rare ahu van
able beast has been lost merely because
everybody WIS afraid of IT. a;-.ro
| sThe least excitement drives eirHH'
40 frantic that it leaps with uncontfoIlnn,,
! fear The greatest danger in srmppiis "i'o
| il that il will break its legs. They are :"
long and thin and the brute Is so uht,.'i,'tn,
| and awkward when confined IN a. = w.,
space that the least trip or stumble VIII n,I,s
"a giraffe catches cold easily. ard IT -
| no fun to dose it when II has TO he zone VII
| a rolling, staggering SHIP o although
not so hard as camels, which usually acr In,
| spteful, fretful, vindictire children. III
! get homesick and moan ana cot'lf'a'' ~"
! selfish human beings. .uo-r,or
aThe elephant is good old saiiorni'ii'
He takes whatever comes along and ner.r
says a word II is a little hard on num- W., "a
| get no green food on long NoyuE,',d1,,
J so,netimes the dry food disagrecs VIII INV.
Then we have to give him mighty doe e.. g.,
physic. He doesn't like that, ana as tIn
Isn't much room to jump around on s'i,i,
there are more comfortable JOBS man am, n'''"
a doctor TO sick elephants on the OCEAN,
@No, the wild-animal dea,er noeS w
have an easy and delightful life; 80. d"
hard calling, and only a iew grow i'u a.r ~" T."
it, Yet none Of us ever seems 10 ""'''
| leave il once he gets well into IN,