MONEY IN ANIMALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20721, 14 November 1930, Page 12

MONEY IN ANIMALS.

♦ AMERICAN LION FARM. WILD CATS AND RATTLESNAKES. [FROM OUR bWN CORRESPONDENT.] SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15. Ten years ago, threo "movie" lions were quartered on a five-acre farm lot at El Monto, California. To-day, tho property contains 173 lions, from day-old cubs to roaring monarchs Ono of tho lions, Numa, has earned £14,000 in tho movies. Tho farmer gels a fee from every man, woman and child that visits tho lion farm, lie is worth £60,000. Forty years ago, Mr. Edwin Cawston, son of an English family, brought sorao ostriches from tho Capo to Pasadena. To-day, the Cawston ostrich farm is valued at £200,000. At tho alligator farm in California 20,000 havo been reared in 20 years, and sold to various parts of tho world. Thero aro 2000 on tho farm just now. There is a wild cat farm on tho highway 30 miles north of Los Angeles. The owner of the rattlesnake farm, on the Mojave Desert, has caught and sold 5000 snakes in recent years. He disposes of rattlers at two shillings a pound under 6ft. in length, and a dollar a foot over 6ft. Before sale, he milks them of venom, which is retailed at £3 3s an ounce. A fishing worm farm is located at Alhambra, California. A monkey farm was operated until recently near Los Angeles.