The cub died the next night, and an employee buried him on the grounds of a local motel. Another example of a two-bit traveling show is Tim Rivers' diving mules. Since 1957, Rivers has traveled the United States with his high-diving mule act. The act includes three mules, a pony, a dog, and a capuchin monkey. The mules climb a 30-foot ramp, then dive into a pool containing six feet of water, sometimes with other animals chained to their backs.
Experts believe that electric shock is used to train the animals.
In it, monkeys are dressed in nylon suits and chained to the backs of miniature horses who race around a small track, often in the blazing summer sun. The cruelty inherent in these acts does not go unnoticed, and Rivers has a long history of run-ins with humane officials. In June 1988, the act was stopped by Seminole County, Fla., Humane Society officials and deputy sheriffs. In Jackson, Miss., Rivers allegedly violated a federal regulation governing cage sizes. Training, Transport, Torture Forcing animals to perform acts that are unnatural to them requires rigorous training methods that can include electric prods and food deprivation.