Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1894-04-28
LIONS HAVE THEIR PETS.
An Animal Trainer Tells of Rats in Cags
 With the King of Beasts.

"A"AA ShO ANsH$ VI b1Nbts
 An animal-traiAer whe was exhibit ing his cage sf liens iH New York re- gently. said: sI never saw a lion kill a rat or mSuse, and I have had many of the little animals put in the cage with my five liens My attention was first drawE to this when was on my way from Ls&doB to Batavia, in Java, on the ship Rotundo l had my five lions with m0, and enc day saw Leo, my faVorite lion, lying down and hold ing between His paws very loosely monster ship rat. 1 thought perhaps that the cat instinct in the lion had made him catch it, and that he would probably play with it awhile, then eat it, and so watched. Imagine, how ever my surprise when l saw him loos- en the rat, and the rat made no at tempt to get away, but run up and over his gigantic paws and play with hin. We were a long time nalfng the trip, and every day this ship's rat went into Leo's cage, and the two played together as gently as two children. 1 made sev- eral attempts to capture the rat, hop ing that perhaps might take it ashore with me, bat l could not succeed, and old Leo did net like at all my attempt ing to interfere with his pet. There was anothAr instance subsequent to this where Lso had pet rat which makes me believe that tze lion has real fondness fer tue rodent twas in 1881 in Calcutta. We were playing at the Maiden, and when 1 went in to see
 
 had found another rat for pet My five lions were all together, but this rat would play only with Leo. There were many other rats in the place, but the other lions would net look at them. In Hamburg 1 once knew case of a sick tiger te whom it was deemed necessary to give some fresh, warm blood to tone up his system, and to further this end live rabbit was put in the cage with the tiger. The tiger played with the rabbit for days before he would touch it. He finally killed and ate it.
 Now. there isapother peculiar thing about lions, and that is that they will not eat the flesh of fowl. Ton might tempt them with a canvas back duck or ttc NhiiibttSb SJ ttSt V. Dhi tift'N NOUlu te' fuse it This is scientific fact. have tried it many times. 1 remember once having d swan which h q broken its wing We killed it, dressed it care fully and threw it into the cage of the lions, but they would not touch it. and it finally had to be taken out and thrown away. l have repeatedly put pigeons alive into the cage, just to see what they woulG do. have thrown grain down, among the lions, and the pigeons have actually got down and hopped around the big brutes. even hopping on their backs, the lions mal1- ing no attempt to disturb them, even seeming to enjoy their mpanionship.
 Now. there is something strange about this which is rather difficult to explain. To my mind, it argues that lion is not brutal in his instincts Savage, he undoubtedly is. Fierce at all times, but fierce with justice. be- lieve every ore of my lions has con- science: l known every one of them knows the difference between right and wrong; they know their wondrous power and are charita ble. They would never attempt to iRjAre some thing which ia no way could do thesa harm. The study of lion, his habits, characterand capabilities. is one of the most interesting l ksow. It offers field as yet comparatively unknown, but the more one goes into it, the more time one takes to find out jast what lion is, the mere he is convinced that he has rightly been named the king of beasts. n-N Y. Tribune.