River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-04-07
TEMPER OF ANIMALS.
It Is Naturally of Mild and Gentle
Character.

Character.
Animal temper is naturally pacific,
equable and mild. Bad temper is the
privilege of more highly organized ma
lures; and the mild resentment of the
placable tiger finds its development in
the apoplectic fury of the mandril and
the measured malice of mankind. Hor-
aces suggestion that Prometheus added
to the i'll temper of man the strength
of mad lion must be taken literally.
The general law of good nature in the
animal world makes the exceptions all
The more remarkable. Quarrelsome
species appear among friendly tribes,
just as an ill-tempered individual does
in a kindly species
The ruminants are a most peaceful
race, yet deer are savage, and so is that
handsome Indian antelope, the nylgnau.
A tame stag is very dangerous pet,
and even the beautiful roebuck has
been known to kill boy in a wild fit
of rage. But the fiercest and most vim
dictive of all, with the exception of the
Cape buffalo. is the South African gnu,
which never loses its ill-temper when
tanned. and always remains among the
few dangerous animals which the keep
ers of the zoo have to deal with. Hardly
less ill-tempered are the zebras and the
wild asses, which suggests that human
mismanagementi is not entirely to blame
for the occasional ill-temper and OBJ
stinacy of mules and donkeyS To the
ill-tempered species we may add the
camel and the two-horned black rhi-
noceros- The last is really ferocious,
charging down on any creature, man
or beast, without provocation. and ca
pablo of inflicting mortal wounds even
on the lion, the elephant or its own
kind
But among all the larger creatures of
the animal kingdom, it is difficult 20
find more than a dozen species which
are. as class ill-tempered, unless we
include all those cornivous animals
which exhibit certain ferocity in the
capture of their prey. But it will be
found that. apart from this law of their
being, such animals are not as a rule.
either ill-tempered or malicious On
the contrary, their natural bias is to-
ward good nature, and il NAV be i'm
ferred that the fierceness exhibited by
ia rather gradual development from a
particular necessity than an essential
part of their nature. The good flumor
of the lions and other feline was well
illustrated by a scene at the Zoo few
weeks ago. The young lion from So
koto was much intent on breaking in
the iron shutter which separates the
house it now occupies from its former
quarters next door. Apart from the
very proper wish to assert a right to its
former domiciles. it had the irritating
stimulus supplied by an ill-tempered
and decrepit old leopard which was
growing on the other side of the shut
ter. and even went so far as to insert
one of his longest teeth into the crack
between the shutter and the wall. as a
reminder to the lion of what was wait
ing for it on the other side The lion
was striking constant heavy blows on
the floor. and was so intent on its occu-
patton as to disregard the call of the
keeper. The keeper quietly attracted
its attention by pulling its tail, and the
lion at once desisted, rubbed its face
against the keeper hand and Law down
to be stroked. patted and have its name
carressed A very beautiful puma close
by exhibited all the pleasure of a
friendly cat at being stroked, and the
tiger from Turkestan allowed itself to
be fondled like big dog. London
Times