WHAT PERFORMING ANIMALS EARN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 154, 20 June 1908, Page 3

WHAT PERFORMING ANIMALS EARN.

T:> invest onus money in the purof wild forest-bred animals, in order to train tlu* same for publicppre r formanees, is a somewhat speculative business.; for apart from the expense of capture and the cost of training there is always a danger that the animals will I'aiL to become acclimatised to loreign countries, and die when tlie unlueky > •diownian or circus proprietor lias speiu hundreds of pounds upon them, "Ijord" t.ieorgc Sanger lias confessed that he once paid lM.2ui) cash down for rix young giratlcs. Two day* laU'r two or tlie animals died, ami'shortly afterwards the remaining lour died also. Barnum U> say that only on.' elephant, tiger, lion, or monkey in six which he purchased brought him any profit, and other showmen make similar complaints. The most aggravating j»arr. of the business is, however, that often when an animal lias <been trained, seems to be thoroughly used to foreign climates, and is repaying some of tiro , money its owner lias spent oil its pur- j cha?c and reariug. it suddenly dies, j Take the case of Consul, for instance, i ill*, IJostock's remarkable chimpanzee, which died some lime ago in Berlin. This animal was insured Jor and was earning from £IOO to £l«>0 :i week when it died. Furl hermor Mr. [io-UK-k hail booked contracts for H to appear :i L a ]irice of £llOO per wwik, Luckily Mr. liostock was able to dis cover two oilier exceptionally line speei mens of the chimpanzee trilw, which he has named Consul I. and Consul li. ; The former, which is the cleverer anij mal (if the t wo, will appear at the harln .Court, Inhibition, and earns as much as j £IOO -per week. Consul 1 1, is generally booked at £7O 'per week, while Esau, another of -Mr. liostocks wonderful chimpaii/x'es. appears at £BO. The.-e animals are. most difficult to rear, clephiints. tigers, and lions, which cost anvthing from £2OO to IoOD each, changes. Tlii'V fully repay the cure and attention whieh nni-t be In-stowed upon ihem. h"\ve\cr. Mr. I>osto<-k, tor in--Uu-e. bus a diminutive <'lephant lor whieh In- lias beeindlVml sums varying from Cl.l»i)U io t2.M)U. all of which he lul- refused. This is Lhc smallest performing elephant in the world, and earns from £*o to Cluu per week. Another troupe of elephants earn from CM! to el2.*i per week, a group of tigers from Clou to Cl'»n, while a Mj-oup of lioiu bring in as much as £2oo per week. I'erfovmim: do"> are perhap- the. least expensive. I Itese animals can now bi Ixmglit. for about £lO apiece, and well trained easily secure C3O per week. Some of Mr. IJostocks do'js vain much as £B<i per week, while from .£SO to £BO is paid for the performances ot his sea-lions.