That's a pity If wild-type sables are still being bred, it would be better to acquire such ones rather than fancy colored. Same situation with our zoo's arctic foxes - they're farmed too, and take up a valuable space that could be used for wild type (and ideally for specimens of Medny island subspecies but it never happens of course). Farmed animals are the cheapest and visitors don't care about how a wild specimen would look. And who said 'conservation'? It's the least priority in Russian small zoos.
We have two almost black animals and one brown (on the photo; it looks like black, but it is mostly result of wrong angle of shooting). The farm (http://www.saltikovsky.ru/) has their own breed of sable but I think none of our animals fits the description. I think this animal looks close to wild type enough, though I would prefer animals from the wild probably.
Must say that lynx at that farm is HORRIBLY overpriced. There are lions in Russia that are twice cheaper.
I cannot find prices. Are you talking about alive animals? Prices are for reach people, they can pay any price
Prices are here http://www.saltikovsky.ru/kupit_shkurki.htm Though they're for 2013, lynx is still too expensive. And rIch people buy lions for 50-60 thousand rubles. The market is filled by lion breeders, who are mainly private. Prices can even be lower in the case of direct contact. Middlemen rise up the price for 100 thousand rubles and more for a rich but stupid noob that just wants a pet lion ASAP. Then, as soon as the lion matures from cute to dangerous, it moves from house to an enclosure (too often as spacious as circus crate), its owner finds a mate and breeds, breeds, breeds his lions just like housecats, if not being previously mauled of course Extra cubs are always demanded for travelling menageries and resort photoshoot. No matter that they would perish.
The only explanation is: the market is filled by lion breeders, but not filled by lynx breeders (yet). By the way I doubt that prices for lions are so low, especially now.
I seen the web ads with lions for this price, and in travelling menageries the cubs are even cheaper. You just visit and ask. Btw lynx can be a proper pet and big cats cannot - size does matter.
