Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1882-03-23

Tanning Animals.
EFFECTS or KINDNESS on THE rIERCEsT.
EVEN 4 HYENA MADE GENTLE AND PLAYFUL.

y correspondent OF the Cincinnati Com
mercidl writes:
My first acquaintance with wild animals
dates from the winter Of 1869, when Van
Aken's menagerie had their winter quarters
IN Tubingen. Germany. A fine leopard
used to enj~T his siesta in the afternoon.
and slept quietly in his cage like the other
carnivora. Being a daily guest. one day !
venturrd TO stroke quietly and cautiously
the back of the leopard. who was lying
against the bars. This caused him to turn
around TO look at the person. who had dared
to interrupt his slumbers Nv friendly adj
vanccment. with few pacifyIng words.
seemed To please him, for he lowered his
head against the bars and rubbed it and The
rest of his body against them. which in
trrprcted as an encouragement to pat him
again. Then began To scratch his head.
the leopard pushing himself forward in or
der that my hand could offer the same ca
res to the neck and back When reached
the tail, he lot It glide through my hand, ap-
preaching again with his head, and repeat
my the sport. In this way our friendship
was sealed, and hencctorth the leopard
watched the entrance door, becoming rest
less a. soon as ! appeared, showing ms joy
hy hurrNing 10 and fro IN his cage. and hs
friendly suiites calling FOR my care>s How
ever. he had been tanned for long time,
and Mr. Nan Akcn sometime. sct him al
liberty IN the evening, when no visitors were
present. One evening entered the men
agcrie. the animal being at that momrn,
free and responding to the pct,ing Of Mr..
Van Akcn, rushed with a few bounds toward
me. and Jumping up At me rested his fore
paws on nv chest. hs hot breath mingllng
with mine. # that had not come to a stop at
the unexpected sight. Mr. Van AIKEN. run
uiHg ~ my assistance. helped me tp regain
ms cumpo,urr, and | strukrd the head and
back of the splendid animal. which nov. .
cal-Akr. wound himself between my legs. |
mcanR hl.c explaining to the astonlsheG own
cr about our intimacy.
since the geological garden ha, bccn
opened her, have witnessed similar cx-
ampic,. One time tickle. the head and
neck of spotted h,eua With my cane. and
b, placed himself against the bars Of the
cage vlth peculiar. smiling look, ruCpur-
a.iu. ne 10 extend the scratching ID the
side, Of hi, body, The h,cna grew friend
llcr the harder | rubbed, and when took
ava, 10, c1nr he turned himself around M
tlFHtE Ab Rlif.l Nllf ifa'tfi Na'4f itt' IL t4tf .
further acquaintance. used my hand I'LL
stead u; the cane. hen could pull the AM
ma. by ies or by th, tan toward, the bars.
and the ut'cucr bothered him. rubbing and
pulling, thr trsndllyr the cNpr, s>lou about
the mouth grew. aud The oft,urr uc NJ, hlm-
,..f ia hi> fore leg d, q De wanted 90 ,aN
"louA here; u does uu, hurt. even If
,hu4.a get NouE hand b-twceu my teeth
PlN;u.tN hr ran about ID the cage, rolling
nlu~,.i; then rryus and .aug gliug With
pleasure; now offering 'Hr head rr ears. uuS
the ,usut os foot, 50 tIaf | could seize L.
Ono VI mN a.qII-u'A Anr., slapped me "u nay
D-.A one LAY when playing ~,th the hycuA
d, ! Mould VISA my lr-. and immediately
the behavior uf the animal cnlngeu; hl-
ewes g.uayd. the hairs ut the back stood up.
aud leap At the pArs plainly showed that
the Supposed attack uu me would have been
dangerous for my friend without the pro-
tc,uug rods. H.. departure appea>,d the
beast immediately and he Was agreeable
a. possible.
Our Of the TWO splendid tigers VA, some
what tame 80 | could venture. although
With great caution, TO pat her. The other
one Was all unAppruachab.e beast. vho was
80 curAgvd that she did not even suffer the
visitor, 70 watch her Nh,lr eating. She
never touched the mea, IN an, body, pres
eucc. aud The keeper in passing by, was
aamon.,hed hy u bound tow ard ,nr bar, and
a blow Of her paws 10 be more careful! IN
the future. She would no, even touch water
III his presence but shc readily took il from
a lJt.c boy, WHO pushed the dish toward
her, always keeping her glowing ewes IN the
direction Iu which the keeper had dI~dp-
prlrcI. \ first she s IN the darkest cor
uvr, uul only moved about At night. tried
ms persuasive powers with TIN, terOCious
beast II iir>t without the least impression !;
even II told her the pretIle>t compliments,
.dmlrus her shining san. her splendid
stripes 4t.d spots, and graceful body, only a
flash IrIn her ewes aui an occasional dis
PLAY 81 teeth showed that she noticed me.
After many attempts, continued tor months,
she sermsd 10 feel desire to cultivate my
acquaintance. as she walked hurncdly for
Ntld ANA backward, snarling and sometimes
show W.ns her teeth as a varying not To ap-
proach too near. 4 second semester of
continued friendly assurances and praises
about the nov conquered stubbOrnness and
pride had finally the desired effect, and the
animal Is now 80 tame that she Jumps up
JOY fully at my approach, ,nutiles her greet
lngs through the nose, and pushes her body
for care,s against the bars. Her hearing
is So acute she recognizes me in crowd,
even at my cough, stands still immediately,
surveys the surrounding th.ong, and when
she me invites me. with expressive ewes
and joyful bounds, to come nearer. 10
none Of these animals have | ever handed
a -.
\ word spoken in kindness, or when | no.
tced that the animal Was in bad humor, let
ting It alone, walking away from the cage,
induced il 70 have confidence III me. la
summer, When the tigers can 20 in the out
er cages, seeing me walking toward the ln-
side Cages, they bound within Immediately
and vice versa. am confident that every
animal possessing j certain degree Of intel
lect can be tanned by friendlness and en-
couragemeut To insure success it is neces-
sary never To be present at the time the car
nNCrous ANIMALS are fed. or at least not
whilst they de,our their food, for the above
described tgress shows the beast when she
crouches over her meat and ausrliy does not
touch moTsel; or Is 1t perhaps Gistru>t
that her ration of meat will be taken away
AGAIN? One instance convinced me, when
| saw her before me. with ears and lips
turned back, when felt her hot breath and
saw her enraged eyes, warning to with
draw Immediately from her presence. Since
then | have never attended the feeding OF
the carnlvorous animals. in order TO keep
their recollection of me only of the most
pleasant kind. One day | made my APP
pearance with fur cap on my head instead
Of broad brlmmed hat. As | stood be-
fore the cage, without saving a word or Civ
ing sign, the tigress looked attentiyely at
me, as If she would say 81 am not sure il
it be you" A word from me chased away
all doubts, and with joyous bound and
shuttle she desired to make up for falling to
recognize me without the accustomed hat.
After three months absence the tigers
recognized me Immediately, jumped over
one another, laid themselves against the
bars, offering their bodies for a petting, and
rolled with pleasure at the sight of their old
friend.
Looking at the small, expressionless eyes
of the rhinoceros one can hardly believe
that such an awkward stupid looking an
imal can form an attachment TO any person,
and yet this beast knew me instantly when
called his name, whereupon he always got
either an apple, a potato, an onion, or a
handful of leaves Once. when repeatedly