The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-05-02
TRAINING SAVAGE BEASTS.
Methods Of - TaIsr whose PHpiis Desire "a
n~Wawr Itita.

. Methods OF = futsr whose fnptls Desire TO
DrvoHr IIiHa.
! A New York sun reporter has had All
interview with wild beast tanner, from
whom We gather the following facts
when you want 10 train lions, or
tigers, or leoparls, or hyenas, the pre-
paratory steps in all cases are the same.
lou first get them used to you from the
outside Of the cage, feeding and water
ing them, peaking 90 them and some
times touching them through the bars
when they are in such positions that
they cannot readily get hold of You
Then you 60 into the cage 10 sweep II
out Keep your broom going-never
let them get near enough 10 You 10 smell
! of you, or they viii snatch you the in
slant after-and make them pass YOU,
i driving them about with "A whip. When
you have them thoroughly familiarized
with your presence You may begin their
education Some trainers IN old times
used 10 clip their claws ami put muzEles
on them, but | never did, and never
considered il any use, except, perhaps,
in the case of leopard that you are
training 10 jump on your back. Wheth
or Won clip their claws or not, tiger or
lion, especially the lion. has force
enough in his arm 10 mash a man down
almost AS you would fly. And II isn't
right, for the animal needs his claws.
They are his forks 10 hold his meat with
when he eats. As for the muEZle, he
knows whether he has Il on or not, Just
/ as we'll as YOU do, and the memory Of il
has no influence on him when il is not on.
You can I teach wild beasts any great
variety Of tricks. You make them rear
up in the corners Of the cage, Jump over
your whip, through a hoop or balloon,
or over you, or each other, and you sit
down on them. and that about exhausts
their capabilities for learning. To make
them Jump You hold stick and drive
them over it with your whip, holding il
low at first and gradually raising IT, III
you want them 70 60 through a hoop,
hold il with gate set in under il SO
they can't go beneath, and whip them
through. IL Won want an animal to rear
up, il may be necessary 30 have q rope
or chain dropped through the roof OF
the cage and either swing about It's neck
or fastened 10 a collar, and when you .
whip Il and order Il 10 stand up, have IA
couple of men above 10 haul up and
make il stand ON its hind legs. After a
few times the rope will not be necessary.
See my splendid tigresses. how they .
stand up. They were trained that way
You must always make them do the same
thing in the same placc-that is, in the
same corner or in the center Of the cage
II you want 10 sit on a lion or tiger, get
the animal trained 10 remain quiet in
one place while you stroke it gently, ai
first with the whip, next with your hand.
and finally you can press on II, and at
last sit down on its launches, but never
cease 10 keep a sharp lookout upon IL
for the slightest sign OF trcachery. The
old Van Amburgh feat Of man putting
his head in n lions mouth is safest done
with a very docile old hon, well fed and
toothless As possible, but il may be done
with some risk, Of course-to n young
or brute IL he is very good natured, and
you work up TO it by gradual familiar
ities about his head, opening his mouth,
and 80 on. With a tiger the best plan
is to-let il alone. When you feed them
scraps Of meat while you are in the cage,
never take in much, and of that you
have, see that il is free from bones and
cut III such small chunks that one Of
them may be swallowed at IA single
schlOop. Toss il 10 them. Don't hold
il in your hand, or they II take hand and
all, without noticing the difference, per
haps Firing guns and pistols always
eKcites them, but / can't say that /
think it frightens them at all after they
have found ont once tha. il does not
hurt them. You must watch them all
the time. Never trust them for an in.
slant. II you study them as you should
and know your business properly, you
will understand their every look and
motion, every curl Of the lip, switch Of
the tail, tremur of the muscles, and
quiver OF the cruel claws. All those
things are the animals language, and il
il is strange to you 80 much the worse
for you. For instance, you may whip
lion for five minutes when he is sulking
in q corner without any danger, and
then suddenly you see the look warning
yuu that one blow more will bring him
on you with the force OF thunderbolt
aud the mad fury of demon. No, il is
not a threatening look at you, and il
isn't emphasized with any growl. He
just sits up and seems 10 gaze of into
the distance, with a far-awAy, dreamy
look in his eyes Strike him then and ,
you will have 10 battle for yoar life in
second after. Affect 10 disregard him
and turn your whip TO another beast,
and in n few moments his fear Of You
may return to him, and his desperate
courage will have gone. But you must
be able 10 see when that time comes
again. A lion is q bad animal 10 have
any misunderstanding with.
AtfTh,wa l. -. a
that sometimes get about of animal
tanners wearing shirts Of mail and thick
clothing. Cooper used 10 wear sole ,
leather leggings, but / never thought
they were any good. SO far as safety il
concerned, I'd just as lieve go naked
among the animals il they had once got
used TO seeing me outside that way. But
whatever else You do or don't wear,
never 60 among them without something
in your hand to strike them. After they !
are once trained a stick, or even n straw,
will do, until they find ont that il doesn't
hurt them. When that time comes
though-especially If you are among
tigers-look out. Remember always !
the law of love is unknown 10 them, and
nothing can be relied upon except ter
ror. The more cruel you are when !
cruelty is needed, and with Judgment, Of J
course, the longer you will probably !
live among them. There are some crazy
beasts that you can never tame. We
have lion Of that sort here. No kind !
ness can reach him; no force short OF !
death could subdue him. We call him ,,
crazy, but he is Just devilish, and that
he always will be- He lives for nothing
but the hope Of killing somebody or :
something. Once in Augusta, Ga, he
got out, bounded over into pen twelve
feet high where yak was confined, and :
killed that yak in less than forty seconds. !
he never looses n chance TO make grab J
at anybody he thinks may be within
reaching distance. There never was q {
wickeder brute, but he is n splendid !
looking one. Just see him, and-take !
carel Man alive, that was n close call I !
He wasn't asleep, but Just pretending"
The four tgresses trained for per-
formances are deemed worth S32, 900,
but good tiger. unbroken, is not worth
more than 80, 800. Lions are worth
about 81, 900 10 so, 500 each; panthers, ]
$500; iaguars, $400; hyenas, $3.50, il 4
unframed; leopards, $3.50 to 400, accord .
ng to their kind. The cheetah, or 4
hunting leopard, would be worth 81 200, |
but there is not one in this 4
country to-day. Mr.. Reiche, four or '
five years ago, imported two, and sold !
them for about 81, 500, but they have |
both died of contamination "a diaaaaa that | ,