Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-05-10
TANNING SAVAGE ANIMALS.
How Cruelty, skin and Science Are Conn
bined to subdue Wild Beasts.

How Cruelty, skill and Science Are Conn
bined to subduc Wild Beasts.
The king of beasts when conquered Is
like a lamb, and the young lions are
trained one at a time. For several days
the animal is well fed. He is tempted
to thrust his ~forepaws out in front of the
den. Over them is slipped a moose, and
the feet are then firmly tied down. The
lion at once begins to roar and thrash his
tail and hind legs about the cage. After
q time he cuiets down and the keeper n
tiers the den. With a dexterous move-
ment the bag is drawn over the lions
head. The keeper sometimes bestrides
his back and holds his seat by tightening
his legs around the body and grasping
the name of the animal. In the head
covering is usually a sponge, saturated
with about eight ouncesof chloroform.
The lion will try to shake off the keeper,
but is powerless when his fore paws are
tied down. In a moment or two the
beast becomes unconscious. Other train
ers then enter the den. Great attention
and care are exercised over the pulsations
of the lions heart. The pulse is felt
under the lower jaw the same as in a
horse. 1t is dangerous to etherize or
chloroform an animal Of the cat species
too severely, and the instant the pulsa-
tons become at all feeble the dose has to
be lghtened.
When the keeper becomes satisfied
that the animal is unconscious, they be-
gin operations on his teeth. The can
ines, bicuspids and incisors are cut off. 1t
requires great dexterity to know how far
in the crown to cut without laying the
nerve bare. After the operations on the
teeth are finished, the keeper clips the
claws, and in a few moments the lion is
bereft Of his teeth and claws. A heavy
collar and chain are fastened around his
neck, and when he zones to conscious
ness he is a very different beast than
before.
The keepers will enter the cage at
short intervals after this, and, should the
lion attempt TO spring, the chain retards
him, and the keeper at onc administers
a sharp rap with a rawhide whip. The
lion deprived of his teeth and claws soon
becomes cowardly. He is kept well fed,
and, if too ~ferocious, is drugged until he
becomes used to his keepers presence in
the cage.
Tigers are more difficult to conquer.
Their teeth and claws are cut off in a
similar manner to those Of the lion.
Tigers are more treacherous, and will
spring at a keeper Unexpectedly and
without any warning swhatever. They
are drugged and kept chained for a long
time and often ilogged into submission.
Leopards and panthers are easily
tanned. With the wolf and the hyena
the keepers fear only the teeth. They
are ''dog footed" and do not strike like
a cat animal. Their teeth are cut and a
good club will do the rest.
The operation upon the long tusks Of
the baboon is so painful and apparently
so inhuman as TO call for a humane So
ciety's interference. The keepers will
secure a baboon's paws and legs and
draw the creature close up to the bars OF
his cage. The head will be tied also.
After he is made fast his long tusks are
sawed off. The baboon is subject to
tootache and his teeth extremely sensi-
tive. When the saw cuts through the
nerve the poor beast will utter the most
piercing shrieks and bowls. To allay the
pain, toothache drops of oil Of cloves, oil
Of cajuput and chloroform are poured in
the teeth and tar rubbed on to keep out
the air.
After the operation is over, the keeper
retreats, the f~astenings are removed and
the balloon allowed to recover. After
such an operation the baboon seldom
shows a disposition to attack a man. II
is, therefore, not so wonderful, after all,
that the mar eaters and all sorts of car
nivorous animals are paraded through
the streets with keepers among them.
Timid people should take heart and re-
member that animals clipped, drugged
and chained in cages are not possessed Of
such ferocious instincts as those of their
native wilds. -Cor. Globe-D Democrat.