The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-26
TRAINING THE WILD BEASTS
WOMEN ABLE TO HANDLE LIONS
 AS WELL AS MEN.
Even More Successful With the Trencherous LeOpards - VenomOus Now Wild Beasts Bred in Captivity.

IrencherouS Leopards -- VenomOut
 Snakes Exhibited With Their Fang
 Now-WiId Beasts Bred in Captivity
 Many so-called carnival companies are travelling about the country giving exhibitions, and feature of all of them is the performance of the trained ami mals. One of these shows usually in- cludes one or two elephants, four or five educated lions, a boy of snakes, a trained bear or so, a few dogs, big and little, a pair of tigers and some trick ponies.
 Most of the lions and tigers have been born in captivity, for the handling of such brutes has become so system ized that they will thrive as well be- hind the bars as in the forest from which their ancestors were taken. No difficulty is experienced in rearing the young lions, and so many are now born in captivity that the work of the lion catcher is practically at an end. Thls is true also of tigers and leopards.
 One collection of animals which re- gently wintered at Baltimore contained more than thirty lion cubs, and during the winter three filters of from four to eight each were born, all but two living. Those not needed by the show are sold to animal dealers, geological parks or other shoWmen.
 Very few are kept except to be train ed to perform and the skill which has been attained in this respect is remark able A woman of nerve can train a 11I ,oOf hnft ar than man, while as rule women can handle leopards-the most treacherous of all wild animals-much better than the sterner sex.
 In training lions and 1eopards the whip is used unsparingly. They dread the sting of the long lash more than almost any other pain, while 1t does them no injury.
 The trainers begin on lion cubs as soon as they are three months old and become familiar with the animals when they are a few weeks old, although only trainers whom the lioness knows are allowed to go near her young. From fondling and feeding the cubs become acquainted with them, and generally one or two of the litter are of more affectionate disposition than others.
 These can be taught the first tricks more easily and their example is some times initiated by the rest. Such per formances as standing and sitting on stools are attempted first. Then follows seesawing with one lion on each end of a plank especially constructed.
 After these feats have been accom- plished more difficult ones are taught, such as forming pyramids with three or four Hons with dog at either end. The fear of dogs for lions or tigers is well known, and much persuasion punish ment are required before they will per- form this trick
 The Hons are also posed in groups to initiate statuary, one standing on an others back, or two standing on their hind legs, facing with their front paws braced against each other, on the order of an English coat of arms.
 Some are trained to form a footstool for the man or woman performer, but feats of this kind are only taught after the brutes have been in training three or four years and the instructor re- ceives many a bite and stroke of the paw before their course of education is over.
 lHt llStIS Call Dt taught tO pctiotlSC themselves on the tilting and to lie down in different positions with the trainer, but few trainers attempt more difficult feats, as they are so dangerous The fact is that lions have very lit- tie treachery in their dispositions, and trainers admit that they are about the noblest of all brutes They are ex- tremely affectionate and when three or four even of the loder lions are together | in the big cage they will play around l like kittens when not performing, lick ing one another's backs.
 When resting they invariably lie down | side by side and it is a common sight to see half dozen cubs in a cage, piled in | such way that they look like an ani- | mated rug, their bodies are so twisted. | The performances of the lions and | leopards and tigers are generally the | most interesting features of the show, | and plenty of time is taken with them. The trick elephant, however, is also an attraction with the children, as well as the ponies and performing dogs
 The training of elephants has not | progressed like that of the cage anil nals as they are not such novelty but those now seen in travelling shows | go through more elaborate perform ance than those of the old-time circus. A feature which also draws the crowd is the feeding of the animals, for then the brutes display more of the animal ferocity of their disposition, and there Is fascination in the way which they spring upon the piece of meat and eat it.. Lion cubs until they are year old do not get more than four pounds of beef or horse meat daily
 For the first few weeks after being taken from their mother, they are fed on milk and meal. A heal thy cub will drink a half gallon of milk a day and then mew for more.
 Full-grown lions get from eight to ten pounds of beef or horse flesh with plen- ty of bone in 1t, daily. The full-grown tigers get about the same as lions, the allowance for the smaller onces vary ing.
 Really the cost of providing for the animals is very little. If the show stays In the town for several weeks arrange ments are made to purchase all the l worn out horses and mules, which are favorite article of food and are killed l and butchered by the company's men. 1 { The elephants eat anything from pea 1 {