Pueblo chieftain., 1921-07-29
BY FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN

by tNtbtEslt d 'iNSrAAN
Washington. D. 9, July 26.-sup-
pose YOU wanted an ocelot or noun
tain lion, would you know where TO 90
to get II? or suppose IL is an import
cd white tailed deer you seek. wild
cat. or brown bear. Filling the de-
mand for these and a Kindred ether
Wild and tame animals on wholesale
scale is curious business. but thrv-
ing and fairly large one. There are
many business concerns in the United
States engaged in the collection OF ami
mails from all parts OF the Globe. and
their sale to private individuals, cir
euses. and geological parks. \ num-
her OF these firms are located along
the Mexican border.
The biggest part OF the business Is
the Importation OF canary birds. Be
fore the beginning u the World war.
canaries were Imported into the United
States at a rate OF more than a thous-
and a day. The record for one year
was reached shortly before the out
break OF the war when the govern
ment recorded the entry OF $4,000 can
aries
Another bird item covers such game
birds as quail pheasantH. and wild
turkeys. As N is contrary TO law TO trap
birds for stocking private game pre-
serves must be imported or the shoot
ing suspended for period ~ years
while the dwindled stock has a chance
to multiply. The price for live Bob
White" quail Is usually from $3.50 70
800 for each bird, depending upon the
size Of the order. Mountain quail are
quoted a little lower. while turkeys OF
the wild variety will often cost as
much as 81 apiece.
4. d L
bear should be desired, It may be Sc
cured on fairly short notice for about
SIS Mountain lions, alive. cost as
much as $3.50. The mailer and CONF
moner Wild cat costs only about so
For the larger animals, the whole
demand comes from the circus people
and ZOOS. The prices for some OF the
big beasts range up to thousands or
dollars. 4 good giraffe will easily
command 5000 Geological men say
that there are only ahnat - now In
| the United States. the larreat group
ZOOS can boast the possession OF a
giraffe
Another animal which Is rare in tho
United States l. the rhlnoScrroE ai-
tho It's cousin. the nippotamus can be
seen i'm almost any collection Of wild
beasts imported from other chimes.
The gorilla. Of the four great anthra-
pold varieties. Il very scarce. the only
one in the United States having died
/ last winter from pneumonia Good
| speciments Of either tho rhino or the
/ gorilla arc worth Mt least 5000
Lion. Not Greatly In Demand
Tigers command 4 better price than
lions Right now lions arc a drug on
/ the market. and some can he obtained
for as little as $3.50 or 500. Lions In
| captivity often breed well and a con
siderable number gow make their
homes in this country. Not many
years ago the American bison had
dwindled to such small numbers that
a good specimen was worth consider
able sum. but the efforts to preserve
the beasts. both wild herds and those
/ in captivity have resulted in building
them up to the point where all danger
of extinction is past Consequently
they are not 30 -nluahie
Elephants always command good
price The last two elephants pur-
chased for the zoo in Washington were
small ones. and 5000 was paid for tho
pair. a fun grown elephant would be
worth about this much money. Els-
/ phanta rarely breed In captivity. but
quite n number are caught every year
I'm tho big elephant drives. ny the
way. animal men say the great age at
| tributed to elephants by fiction writer's
is product OF their imnginations. that
the average length OF an elephant
life is so to 90 years, and that 1t Ia