The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-03-15
TASK OF a LION TAMER,
Patience and Iron Nerve Needed to Subdu
the Fierce Brutes.

EaCicnce anu iron Nerve Neeueu TO SuDuu0
the Fierce Brutes.
Lions which are to be trained for
performing in public must be taken
when young. About nine or ten
| months is the usual age, as the train
ing can rarely be impaired after they
have begun to get their second teeth.
Lions born in captivity are nearly or
quite useless for exhibition purposes.
as they are generally very stupid and
lacking in spirit, the result frequently
of inbreeding. The best lions come
from Nubia and Abyssinia. The fe-
males are much more clever and teach
able, but the males present the more
| imposing appearance, and are there
fore more sought after. The natural
emotion which the beasts feel toward
man is fear. Consequently, the first
| step in their education is to teach
| them that the human beings they see
! have no intention of hurting them.
| This confidence being established by
familiarity with the trainer, they are
! taught to wear collar with a chain
attached. This is often difficult mat
ter to teach, for the lions would kill
themselves if they were chained up,
and must be constantly watched until
| they have become accustomed to the
collar. Having established in some
| degree at least the entente cordiale.
the trainer begins with simple tricks,
| teaching the beasts to sit on a chair or
lie in a certain position. For this adj
vance patience and gentleness are
requisite; the animals rarely fail to
show signs of temper at the restraint,
but the trainer gives them no peace
until they have realized that it will be
| better for them to do what is required.
If a lion has become too large and
strong, the work is doubly difficult;
for if he turns out to be a rogue. the
efforts of the trainer may be fruitless.
On very rare occasions lions whose
training began at the age of two or
three years have been made into sue
cessful performers
Lions are very obstinate and sulky
brutes and their training is generally
one of fear, but they learn to detect the
difference between harsh and kindly
words-a sign of marked progress in
their education. When this is learned,
of obedience and is thoroughly ia
miliar with his trainer the real work
begins. The lions special qualities
are soon discerned and he is set to
learn that speciality for which his
build and degree of cleveruess fits him.
For example, the riding lion, when
about six months old, is put in cage
next to that which contains his special
| horse, and the two beasts soon grow
acquainted with each other. They
also have better opportunity, for the
young lion is taken when hardly larger
than cat and made accustomed to the
| horses back. Once this is learned,
the elaboration of the performance is
easier, but so much IDEAS the success of
the trick depend on the accord exist
ing between lion and horse that it has
been found possible only when the
same lion and the same horse are al
ways exhibited together. In time the
lion grows too heavy for the horse and
this performance then ceases to be in
the lions repertoire.
Although lions grow until they reach
the age of six or seven years, what
may NC IeIlneu IielF prime Oh lie Is
reached when they are three years old.
At this age, however, they are not yet
perfected in their training, but still
show many infantile traits and seem
to lack the courage seen in the older
specimens. Almost all the fights with
lions are with the old ones, but d
writer recalls the case of an animal
which, when only eighteen months
old, attacked a man in the hippodroIne
at Paris.
Experienced trainers rarely have any
difficulties with their charges, for to a
! watchful man, accustomed to the ways
of the beasts, they rarely fail to give a
warning of an impending outbreak.
They are always obstinate and in
clined to shirl1 their work and are
rather fitful in temper. This is most
noticeable when they have been too
well fed, for then they object to being
disturbed, and if forced to work are
''nasty," They are more obedient in
cool weather; it is found also that they
are apt to sulk if called upon to per-
form too often. The secret of success
in training is care in the diet and gem
eral condition of the creatures. N. Y.
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