56 
HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
THE WILD ANIMAL TRADE AFTER 
THE WAR. 
"The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic 
News," of October 13th, published the following 
letter :— 
"In the early part of the nineteenth century 
travelling circuses and menageries sprang up 
throughout England and on the Continent. In 
the majority of cases these old-time menageries 
.were poor affairs, and the animals badly kept, 
but the movement received a steady impetus, 
until, towards the middle of the century, some 
really fine zoological collections were formed, 
and permanent and travelling menageries estab- 
lished. Gradually this industry, like so many 
others, succumbed to the extraordinary organ- 
ising genius of the German nation, and at the 
outbreak of this war that race had practically 
the entire control of the world's trade in animal 
dealing. Great Britain, France, Belgium, Itjaly, 
Spain, the Scandinavian countries, and Russia, 
in fact, not only Europe, but the greater part 
of the whole animal-buying world, depended al- 
most entirely upon Germany for their supplies 
of every kind of' animal, reptile, and bird. 
"Chief among those engaged in this enor- 
mous wide-world industry was undoubtedly 
Karl Hagenbeck, whose name will be familiar 
to the British public in association with his 
exposition at Olympia some few years ago. This 
man had the most magnificently equipped zoo- 
logical society in the world, at Stellingen, where 
a very large collection of wild animals lived 
in surroundings specially designed to resemble 
as closely as possible the natural, environment 
to which they were accustomed. Karl Hagen- 
beck's vast organisation extends its tentacles 
throughout the world, and his agents were to 
be found everywhere. 
"The present war, and the secession to the 
Allies of Germany's very large colonial territory, 
will bring about a total dislocation of this Ger- 
man monopoly, and it is obviously England's 
opportunity to take advantage of the present 
position and, by acting promptly, to secure and 
control the industry. In support of this idea it 
should be borne in mind that although Germany 
monopolised the world's trading, the leading 
big-game hunters who endangered their lives 
to secure the animals were in a great majority 
British, and it is therefore only necessary to 
attack the problems connected with the com- 
mercial end of the industry to control the whole 
of the trade. 
" During the last forty or fifty years zoolo- 
gical societies have sprung up throughout the 
world in ever-increasing numbers, The im- 
portance of the world's animal industry is now 
very considerable, while its educational value 
should commend it to everyone. At the present 
time there are upwards of a hundred zoological 
collections, large numbers of travelling mena- 
geries and circuses, and numerous private col- 
lections both in this country, France, Russia, 
and the United States. Two of the most prom- 
inent names in this country among the great 
animal lovers who own magnificent private zoo*- 
logical collections, are those of the Duke of 
Bedford and Lord Rothschild. 
"This wild animal business includes, apart 
from all kinds, of ruminants and the larger car- 
nivora, a vast industry in small animals and 
birds for domestic pets, such as the mongoose, 
monkey, serval and divet cats, parrots, love- 
birds, honeybirds, and others too numerous to 
mention. These expatriated varieties could be 
reckoned by hundreds of thousands annually. 
At the present day Great Britain or her Allies 
own a preponderating portion of the collecting 
territories, including South Africa, British East 
Africa, West Africa, Egypt, the Soudan,, Ger- 
man East Africa, India, Canada, and Austra- 
lia. This vast field should form a secure basis 
for the establishment of a sound British indus- 
try. 
" It must not be imagined from a considera- 
tion of the above that the British can tackle this 
large order of capturing and distributing wild 
animals without encountering tough problems, 
but this fact should prove a stimulating incen- 
tive. It is difficult enough to realise the danger 
and hardships which have to be faced in track- 
ing wild animals in dense forests, etc., and 
the dijculties do not end there. When they are 
captured they have to be carefully kraaled, and 
it is then that some of the most important and 
delicate problems have to be faced. Wild ani- 
mals have to be weaned from their natural food, 
and induced to live upon the diet which they will 
receive in captivity. They have then to' be 
shipped at considerable expense to all parts of 
the world, and it is only by the exercise of the 
greatest care, and with extensive experience in 
handling, that they are able to reach distant 
countries alive. Commercially very large sums 
of money have been lost owing toi the want of 
experience and to the difficulty of arranging 
adequate space and proper hygienic conditions. 
Some idea of the enterprice of the Americans, 
and the expense incurred in tackling these vari- 
ous problems thoroughly, may be realised when 
it is recorded that the well-known Barnum and 
Bailey Company expended over ^lO^OOO in one 
expedition alone to Africa, in order to capture 
and bring back safely to America a collection 
of wild animals. 
"The risks of the transport may be under- 
stood when it is stated that Hagenbeck, in a 
single expedition to Siberia, lost over sixty 
animals, all of* which died shortly after be'ing 
