The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-06-14
DINNER TINE IN TIE HAPPY FAMILY.

from the wild bird of the desert.
Once consignment of twenty-six os-
triches that had been caught for Mr..
Hagenbeck in northern Africa, during
one of his long expeditions in that
continent for the purpose of collecting
large numbers of wild beasts for his
huge Hamburg menagerie, escaped in
Suez, just before being loaded on
board of steamer that was to convey
them to Trieste. The whole herd of
huge birds escaped direct into the Nu-
bian desert and it looked as if they
were dead loss. The big collection
of wild beasts of which these twenty
six ostriches had formed part had been
slowly gathered and then driven by
native servants a distance of 600
miles. During that time these ami
mails had become acquainted with
each other and made friends to some
extent. There were camels and ante
lopes and lions, elephants and
Abyssinian goats i'll the collection, and
Mr.. Hagenbeck relied on the friend
ship and on the gregariousness of
those escaped ostriches in his little
scheme to recapture them. And he
had correctly sized them up. He had
band of Nubian servants drive the
goats and antelopes some distance into
the desert, all in q heap, and sure
enough, one by one, the fleet ostriches
returned to the fold, every one of
them.
Pantners and leopards are the most
treacherous and the most difficult to
handle, they and the hyenas. Their
hostility and natural antipathy to the
dogs are never overcome, and they will
seize every opportunity to attack dogs,
even when sure to get the worst of it
in fight and knowing full well that
they will be whipped by the trainer
besides. They are always treacherous
and much more dangerous to handle
than their larger and more powerful
relations, the lions, Bengal tigers or
jaguars. They are cowardly and greatly
dread the whip, but that does not pre-
vent them from scratching OF biting
the hand that will lay the SEQ rge on
them the next instant.
However, with all these differences
and with the further great diversity
and individual disposition and charac-
teristics, it is kindness and patience in
the man that accomplishes the wonder
full results in training that the public
see ocularly demonstrated in the Hagen
beck arena every day. All these brutes,
whether quite tanned or only partially
so, are amenable to kindness, and
gratitude forms the principal lever by
which they are moved to do as required.
Another element necessary for the sue
cessful trainer of wild animals is alb
sence of fear, an equable temperament
and instructive liking for him on the
part of the animal. For these beasts
have their likes and dislikes, their
loves and their hGt-eds rs well. NJ.
Hagenbeck attributes his success with
all sorts OF savage beasts and deadly
reptiles largely to the fact thai ne loTes
all creatures and i'll many cnses feels a
genuine affection for his wards and
pupils. Some attendants can never
win the confidence and good will OF
certain wild beasts, and whenever that
fact has become apparent it is IN
furious to the business to retain
their services. One particular lion
ess, for instance, could not be han
died by anybody in the Hagenbeck es-
tnblishment. She proved wholly in
tractable, and it had been already in
tended to sell the animal at low price
to IL circus in Germany when Mr.. Hag-
enbeck himself took her in hand. Then