The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-13
HANDLING OF WILD ANIMALS.
Mr.. j. A. Bailey Says 1t Is Not So Dan.
gerOus AS Commonly Believed.

New York Sun.
has been added 10 the programme of the
Barnum & Bailey show" said Mr.. James A.
asRed as Te is thy ae j aa 6f db bnen f aftanndnIyy
upon such performances. 1t is the general
belief all over. the world that a man who
goes into a den of wild carnivorous beasts
takes his life III Ms hands, and that each
time he does SO and escapes unframed he
b beiie Won th 6y Il 4 i tha yra ehance Who sG hand ReEs fhs
animals in their acts were to turn his back.
leap upon and -deyour him. Others again
believe that the lions and tigers only wait
stroy their keeper, while there are still
others who DECLARE that 1t is only. through
are held in subjectfon. To all of these opin-
ions and beliefs, and as a final answer to all
SSe ers ama now ON ths s thsre Is | no w aahge to w ssaie
ever to any person entering a cage of wild
s beasts Be sac beli & s5at MIisolt h some f,r, Till
explanation and proof.
1T is a fact that many men have been
gers in mena geries and geological gardens
throughout the world. but In every case, /
venture TO say. the causes leading to such
accidents and. deaths were of their own
making. .unmerited or too severe pun
ishment is the most FREQUENT cause.
small and insignificant, will turn and
fight when cornered and in fear OF their
lives. A cat will make q desperate and
determined fight if so placed that it cannot
escape from whatrit believes is a danger
GUS enemy. Just SO with the larger cat
animals; ands nearly all of the accidents
that have. occurred have been brought
about by the brutality of trainers. who.
having losts~teinper. have pursued TO ex-
tremes an animal that did not do what II
was ordered3or which did not understand
what was wanted of IT,. Trainers of the
present day. however. have come to real
lie this, and accidents are of rare occur
renee: and L maintain that any man or
woman, an entirei stranger to the animals,
can go in with them. and In perfect safety.
"a case in point comes to my mind. a
fam a nero NJ an innna1nf cArt
of German to work in the .menagerie, and
one of the first tasks assigned him was
an iron scraper and working through the
bars, as customary, he took a broom,
opened the iron door, went into the cage
and began to sweep the floor. When a lion
got in his way he would punch it with the
broom and tell it in German to go away,
and ii did SO. The man repeated ms expert
ence every day, and was never harmed. I
now make this positive statement-that in
both the handling and training of these an
imals there is no more danger than attends
the training of "A domestic animal. The
snarling and growing of the beasts is no
more Indicative of a desire to claw and de-
YOUR than is expressed in the bark or
snarl of a canine house pet. or the hiss of
a sleek tabby when its tail is stepped upon.
The big brutes may growl and crouch about
their cages. look dangerous and act fero-
experience has taught me that my belief
is correct. that 1T is only through a desire
TO escape from the man rather than to
TT takes time and patience. more than
any one not in the business can Imagine.
to perfect the training of these animals.
and every trainer has a method of his own.
] would further explain that trained ami
mails will not perform the tricks taught
them until the cue Is given them. Even
trained horses, which are supposed to have
great intelligence, will only go through
their performances when the ringmaster
supplies the cue. whatever il NAV be.
Sometimes II IS p motion of the whip. at
others a step backward or forward. when
instantly the animal will respond. Now. all
that is necessary for any one to put
through their performances any kind OF
trained animal or number Of them is for
him to know when to give the proper cue.