Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-01-08
FORTUNES NEEDED TO BUY
ANIMALS.
A VERY RISKY INVESTMENT
Giraffe One of the Dearest Creatures
With Which Showmen have to
Deal Though Hippos. and Rhinoc-
crosses Come Quite High-Lions
Rather Cheap.

Wild animals are at best a costly
luxury, and the cheapest of them come
exceedingly high, aside from the ques-
ton OF their keep. There are no fixed
quotations on them, so that it is hard
to classify them by their cost.
Lions vary with the kind and quality
sought. A good Nubian lion will bring
about $1,000, and a good, strong, adult
Senegal lion from $500 to $3.50 each.
A well known animal trainer who
handles scores of animals every year,
in speaking of their cost, said:
THE finest lions were those obtained
from the north African mountains.
They no longer exist, but that breed is
obtained by crossing those already in
captivity with Nubian lions. The
male has a fine name, and is worth
from $1,150 to $1,000.
In the same way you can get
Sumatra tigers from 1915 to $500,
whereas wild young Bengal tigers
fetch from $3.50 to $1,000 apiece. |
have lately sold number of Siberian
tigers, fine beasts, for which I re-
SSAfSU Sl,IoO " 3l,OUU each.
"a good Indian elephant may be OBJ
tanned for $500, whereas 81 500 would
hardly purchase an African elephant.
The latter are now scarce; indeed,
only five have been imported into
Europe since 1880. The recent wars in
the Egyptian Soudan have absolutely
ruined the business in African ele-
plants.
"One of the dearest animals that
ZOOS purchase now is the giraffe
Previous to 1880 they came to Europe
plentifully from the Egyptian Soudan.
In the year 1876 had no fewer than
thirty-five arrive in five weeks. Be-
tween the years 1880 and 1900 only
three CRATES have been imported into
Europe, two coming from south Africa
and the other from Senegal. This lat
ter, fine male, l sold to the London
ZOO fo' $4,000. Quite a number of
ZOOS would willingly pay from 81, 500
to $4,000 for good specimen.
THE two animals which are exceed
ingly scarce now are the hippopotamus
and the rhinoceros Last year | had
a young hippo which l could have sold
several times over for $4,000, but
thought l would keep it. It suddenly
died, so you see it was big loss to me.
The male hippopotamus at the London
zoo was obtained, believe, at a cost
of $4,000
"The rhinoceros is a dearer animal
still. Thirty years ago supplied the
London zoo with an African male
rhinoceros. It was the first rhinoceros
brought to Europe since the days of
the Roman amphitheater The Zoolog-
ical society gave $3.50 for it. 1t was
quite baby when it arrived in Lon
don, being then only years old.
These animals are now scarce,
while they are difficult to bring over
alive. 1t is necessary to secure them
when cutie babies. You have then to
kill the mother and feed her offspring
on milk, as well as bring it several
| thousands of miles. Last October
obtained from Mongolia a herd of
| twenty-eight wild horses, which were
the first horses from this district ever
| SSSh III 1ulopC- OOule Vi J0Nm were
! sold at 81 500 apiece. have disposed
of all of them with the exception of
two. which l am keeping for breeding
purposes. A good pair of zebras will
cost anything from $1,000 to So, 500. l
am now training pair to harness, and
that is only matter of time and
patience. when they will be valuable
indeed.
The rarer specimens of snakes and
monkeys could not be obtained without
good bank account. Young gorillas
run from $3.50 upwards. Some of the
rarer kinds of deer ard sheep fetch
quite remarkable prices. The London
zoo once gave 1915 for an Argali sheep.