WILD-ANIMAL HUNTER

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 125, 11 May 1934, Page 9

WILD-ANIMAL HUNTER

“Bring ’Em Back Alive” SHIPWRECKED WITH ZEBRAS An interesting personality on tho Wanganella, which arrived at Wellington this week from Sydney, was Air. 11. Edgell, who has spent many years of his Hie wandering iu strange aud inhospitable countries hunting and capturing wild animals, birds, and reptiles lor tho world's menageries. For some years Air. Edgell was manager for Carl Hagenbeck, the famous wildanimal dealer, whose captures are to ba seen in practically every zoo in the world. When met by a reporter on board the Wanganella, Air. Edgell, who looks a typical African wild-game hunter, was very reluctant about giving an interview. After a little persuasion, however, he agreed to a “friendly chat,” but added as he settled himself on a settee, “I have been made out such a liar in the past that I have had to be introduced to myself.” One gathered from Mr. Edgell’s early remarks that he had had a particularly exciting and adventurous life, but on being prompted a little he lapsed into silence with the remark that his life had not been particularly unusual and its incidents were “not of much interest to anybody.” He implied, too, that he did not place much faith in newspapermen because they were wont to distort facts. He was assured that this was not the case here. PERMIT TO EXPORT REFUSED Mr. Edgell said that one of his reasons for visiting Australia was to acquire specimens of wild Hie, but owing to tho opposition of the Government lio was unable to take anything out of the country. He had been asked by the curator of the London Zoo to obtain two platypuses and two kookaburras, but the Australian Government would not give him a permit to export oven these. “This broke me up,” ho said, “and now I am returning to England with a rare New Guinea cockatoo, which I have had for nineteen years, and two Australian terriers. I could

not see any reason for not allowing me to take these specimens out of the country—it was sheer cussedness. 1 also had a chance of acquiring an albina galah, a rare type of the Australian roseate cockatoo. If ever 1 come back to Australia it will bo after opals.” Samples of opals he had found in Australia were shown to Press representatives by Mr. Edgell, who stated that he had some lino and rare stones which he intended -presenting to tho British Afuseum. One specimen, he said ,was a complete oyster opalised. while another perfect stone weighed one and a quarter pounds. Asked what he intended to do when he returned to England, Mr Edgell said that ho would probablv breed shooting dogs and set up a small zoo of his own. RARE ANIMAL SAVED. Afr Edgell said that he captured most of tho wild animals in East Africa, and often travelled on the same ship with them to their port of disembarkation. On one occasion he had been detailed to accompany thirty African zebras to St. Louis, where he was to train them before tho public at an exhibiton. He explained that tho reason for this was to try to create a demanffifor this animal. The ship on which he was travelling with the zebras, however, was wrecked off Cape Sagrez, Portugal. For three nights and two days ho remained on the ship in an endeavour to rescue the zebras and other animals which were aboard, and his efforts were successful to tho extent that he saxed eight zebras, several other animals, birds, reptiles, and the first specimen ever captured of a rare species of bush buck, called Tragelaphus speekei. This particular animal, he said, was captured by Air Russell Roberts, a British explorer, at Lake Moero, German East Africa. The menagerie was rescued in fishing boats aud was landed at Port Demar, the centre of the sardine industry of Portugal. Shortly after the • wreck, Air Edgell met Don Carlos, the then King of Portugal, who. with his eldest son, was assassinated in Lisbon in 1908. With the surviving animals, Afr Edgell left Lisbon for England, and being determined to save the rare bush buck he kept it in his cabin with him. When surprise was expressed at thisfi Air Edgell only smiled and said: “I am very fond of animals, you know.”