The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-27

striped hyenas, jackals, eivet cats. rhin-
oceroses and all sorts of birds"
Today the great dealer has 60 Euro
pean hunters and collectors working for
him. He has established great receiving
depots in all parts Of the globe. There
are five in Asia, three In Africa, several
in Europe, two in India and three In
America.
Many of Mr.. Hagenbeck' travellers
have been noted explorers. Before Jo-
seph Menges engaged himself to Hagen
beck he accompanied General Gordon to
the headwaters of the Nile, where he
made important studies of the fora and
fauna Of the region. On this trip nearly
every one of his companions died of
fever.
so happy as when catching monkeys.
He was once held a prisoner by King
Theodore Of Abyssinia for years. being
released by the British.
Alas! Some of these daring hunters
have lost their lives while In quest of
their strange quarry. There was Kohn.
Bavarian. He was as dry and as
grave as a mummy. but he understood as
well as anyone how to catch wild beasts.
One day he turned up in Europe with
troop of eiraffes The dealer promptly
bought them and told him to go and get
more. Four times he travelled into the
heart of Africa for the firm, until he
was murdered during the Mahdist upris-
ing. While bringing home some animals
from Sumatra only a few weeks ago a
collector died from fever. Among HIS
captures was a python ~ feet 6 inches
long and turning the scale at 300 pounds,
the largest serpent in captivity.
The story of how wild beasts are
caught and transported from the native
haunts to the geological gardens of Eu-
rope is full of interest to the lay mind.
Lions are taken when mere cubs and
brought up on milk and fowl. 1t is
much the same In the case Of all the
bigger animals; only the young are taken
for the simple reason that it would be
impossible to hold a full-grown speci-
msp
their swift Abyssinian ponies in charge
of European hunter They drive a herd
forward at such pace that 1t Is impos-
sible for the young to keep up with their
elders. The former are then captured.
a halter placed around their necks and
tied to trees.
Often they require careful nursing"
so harmful are the effects of the chase.
Indeed in the case of rare deer and an
telopes 1t is necessary sometimes to in
ject chloroform to send the animals to
sleep; otherwise they would die Of fright.
Zebras are caught by natives who,
armed with an offensive-looking short
stick, at the end of which are tied short
pieces of colored cloth. surround a herd,
and by shouting and waving their sticks
drive the animals forward into a pre-
viously prepared corral. Some of the ex
petitions sent out by Hagenbeck remain
away for periods of six to IS months
The two most expensive animals to-
IL -. .~.1 Llx.
oceros. There are two ways OF catching
the former. One Is as follows; The So
called Hawaii, or water hunters of the
Sudan, all of whom are expert swim
mers and divers, harpoon their victims
at the noon hour, when they are in deep
slumber. Then they pull them to the
bank by means of a cord attached TO the
| harpoon, made in such way that 1t
| does not make deep wound. Fully three
quarters of the hippos exhibited in Eu-
rope have been caught in this way.
The other method Is to dig pit in the
forest and conceal Its opening by branches
| Of trees and leaves When the mother
hippo and her baby. the latter always
walking in front pass along, the young
hippo falls into the trap and is caught.
| In handling his strange merchandise
Mr.. Hagenbeck has met with not a few
adventures and narrow escapes. Some
years ago he had an exciting time with
| an elephant He was at the railway de-
pot experimenting the dispatch Of q
number of animals when an express
train ran through the station, whistling
rather long and furiously as it did so.
| The elephant was frightened and things
| looked serious.
Quick as lightning Hagenbeck jumped
I'D and caught hold of ono Of its ears.
| But the animal dashed away with the
dealer hanging on. He was carried In
this fashion right through the streets OF
Hamburg, and the elephant did not stor
until II reached the stable from which
| ii had been taken.