The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-11-19
HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE TRAINED.

has obtained nom - the great lion tanner =
and wild-beast king, Charley White, the !
following information respecting the sub !
DUNG and training of wild animals:
Animals taken full grown from the a..
woods and jungles are generally much +.
more easily trained than those that have
been born in captivity and brought up
by the human hand or by their mother ;
in the cage. These latter or "pet" ami
mails nearly always acquire many tricks /,
and manners which they have to unlearn
before they can be properly taught.
Then, too, their constant familiarity
from early cubhOOd with mankind tends
greatly to divest them of that fear of the
human animal which is the first essential
in their education to proper subsection.
On the other hand, those beasts that are
brought up so as TO know no sentiment
but fear soon learn that their ill-temper
will not be tolerated for a moment, and
that fit of sulks only brings heavy pun
ishment.
The first great agent in tanning wild
beasts Just taken from their native for
ests is partial starvation. They are kept
without food until they are both weak
ened in strength and subdued in temper
and fierceness. Food is then given them
by degrees, always by the same person,
until they learn to recognize man. As .
soon as expedient their claws are cut so I
closely that their power of mischief IS /
nearly destroyed from those weapons
they are then muzzled, and having been I
sufficiently accustomed to the presence of /
the keeper they are then exercised in q
cage ono at time. The slightest sign of
viciousness is instantly punished by a
sharp blow until the animal learns to
know the whip and to understand the
word of command.
The same routine is pursued in the case
of lions, tigers, panthers, leopards and all
other animals of the cat kind, which
must ever be controlled by fear, and
must be constantly watched lest their
treacherOus nature break out
To teach an animal to jump through a
hoop, a piece of meat Is suspended in
such a manner as to be only accessible by
a leap through the ring-after a few repc-
titiOns the animal soon learns to connect
the ideas of food and the ring and the act
of leaping and will soon make the leap
and be content to wait for the reward.
1t will be noticed that a cage of perform
ing animals is always fed during or inn
mediately after the exhibition.
The nose is the most vulnerable spot.
A sharp blow on the nose with a whip
will give a lion or tiger exquisite pain,
when a hit with asledge-hammer between
the eyes he wouldn't mind at all. Next
10 the nose the paws are the most sensi-
tive portions of the frame.
1t is often asserted that red-hOt irons
are used in training animals for public
performances. This is all a mistake.
Hot irons are only TesOTted to when
keeper has been seized and is in i'm
minent danger, and hot irons chance to
be near. Sometimes they are used TO
separate two large lions or tigers which
are fighting and cannot be driven apart
in any other way. Long bars of iron or
steel, heated to red heat in forge, are
pressed against the jaws and teeth of two
fighting bTutes. For a time each I'M
AGNES that the unwonted pain comes
from his adversary; but few minutes
serve to convince both that some power
more potent is at work, and they quickly
return to milder duties. A lesson of hot
irons seldom has to be repeated more
than once a year.
OF those animals seen in an ordinary
performing cage, the hardest to train Is
the black leopard. This animal is treach-
erous and always liable to break out into
open INSTRUMENTATION.
Thus it will be seen that, both in the
training and the performing of Gagged ami
mails, and in the keeping them in subjec-
ton at all times. the one element of fear
Is all that is mainly relied on. Only thus
can they be managed with even tOlerable
safety, and no matter how carefully man
aged they will, in some sudden, inexph-
cable fit of ill-temper, attack a keeper
whose daily companion they have been
for years.
Despite a cOmmOnly-received opinion
to the contrary, beasts-the larger felines
at all events-do not seem to possess the
means of communicating to each other
any acquired knowledge. Each one has
to be taught separately. The others tell
him nothing. Among certain of the
smaller animals this fact does not hold
rs may appear in the sequel.
The last few years have dissipated GER
tain ideas, formerly universally preva-
lent, about various animals which were
alleged to be untamable. These were
notably the hyena, zebra, rhinoceros,
gnu, or horned horse, and no one or two
of the minor animals. not usually con-
sidered worthy the trouble of tanning.
The first-and indeed, we believe the
only-rhinOceros tanned was broken by
Dan Rice, when he was Il circus prOprie-
tor. He broke the unwieldy brute to run
round the ring backward and forward
being always controlled by a long ring
rein fastened to an iron ring in his nose
This was all the sulky beastcould be com
PEELED to do. He would learn no trick
and was always dangerous.
The first hyena ever trained or whose
supposed fierce nature was ever over
come 50 as to submit to being handled by
man, was one which was experimental OF
In, IGEl Tbavl,.. White IN, Poodle,
He was five OF six years old, full grown
and as full of vice as all of his grave-rob
hing fraternity are reported, to be- The
first time the daring trainer ventured into
the cage Mr.. Hyena came at him, mouth
wide open, tusks protruding, screaming
like an angry horse. 1t was evidently t.
he sharp fight between the man and the
brute. Mr.. White, with a huge club il
his hands, awaited the coming of the
amiablc Mr.. VI. As soon rs Mr.. H. GOT
near enough Mr. White prosprated him
with the club. This was repeated again
and again till at length he needed no more
club, and from this time was as dOcile n,
any unframed animal, and needed no more
and no severer correction than does {
young lion or leopard.
One large show in London had several
hvenas trained to do tricks-these were
performed by a stalwart negro, who
among other feats, fastened an iron bell
around his waist, upon which were {
number of hooks arranged like those We
see in butchers shops. On these stee
hooks were stuck pieces of raw and bloody
meat which the animals were permitted tC
take off with their teeth when they had
done their tricks. Their performance,
We're similar to those of other animals
consisting of various leaps over the keep
cr's back, over bars, through rings, anC
over banners, together with taking part
in sundry posturing and grouping, o
which the man is always the centra
figure.
Zcbras have been SO often broken t
harness within the past ten or a dOzer
years that the old notion of their untam
able nature has about faded out of recol
lection. 1t is byno means uncommon t
see zebras driven about the ring in har
ness by circus managers.
The gnu, or horned horse, formerly
thought to be the unicorn of the Bible, i
another of the sC-called untamable. III,
1v1- h.,,,-,,-..- 70, oh