The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-05

wild animal. ferocious, ready to kill for
his food, quick to lear in pieces any one
who aroused his rage.
After settling matters with the bulldog,
he started out on his own account When
reached the scene he had killed four OF her
dogs and was hiding in small building
near the gateESeepers lodge. His owner
and her family We're barricaded mp in the
big house :
time and trouble. ! succeeded in decoying
Mr.. Young Lion into a temporary and
hastily constructed cage. But there was
no more demand on the part Of that family
for lion cubs as pets.
This particular one was sold I" mo for
practically nothing, and few w"nks later
I disposed of him to a circus. IL" is a full
grown animal now, and one of the circus
men told me recently that he was one of
the iercest and most dangerous animals
in the show
Next to lions. hear cubs arc in most
demand as pets While they have not
the fascination Of baby lions. they are
mighty attractive little animals, playful
good natured, full of fun and in many ways
far better ada pied for pets than young
lions. For one thing. they are less
dangerous.
A bear brought up as pet will scarcely
ever attack human being. Then, too,
they can be better trusted. Lions, tigers,
in fact, all the cat tribe, have certain
element of treachery in their nature. IL
irritated by anything, the fierce, wild animal
nature, inherited from generations of I'M
tanned ancestors is likely to come to the
front and come with surprising suddenness.
But bear cubs when taken IA pets can gen
orally be safely kept until they become so
large that they are nuisance.
'Grizzly bears are decided exception
TO this rule. Even as cubs they are practi.
cally untamabe And while wild-animal
trainers have done wonders in the way of
teaching fierce animals to obey them and
60 through all sorts of tricks, they have
never succeeded in making a docile per-
| former of a grizzly,
"A trained grizzly cannot be found in
any show in the country. Old Fphraim' S
sullen strength and innate savage dspo-
| sition have so far proved too much for
the most expert trainer
Although there are few prettier sights
in the world than couple Of playful tiger
/ cubs. they have never been popular as
pets. Even as cubs young tigers resent
| friendly approaches on the part Of human
beings. And as soon rs they begin to APP
| preciafe their strength they are far more
| dangerous than young lions,
THE same il true Of leopards, New
| York broker once bought n pair of blacl;
| panther cubs from nc a. n present for his
wife Although il is my business TO sell
| animals, ! tried to dissuade him from max
| ing the purchase, for black panther. in
captivity are the limit for bad ter,ncr,
Put he was fascinated ny the beauty Of
the two little black spit fires, and purchased
| them, despite my we-meant advice, pay
! ing big price, as black panther cubs arc
rare and valuable lie sold them back to
me in less than two weeks az Il figure CON
siderably less than he had paid rs pets
the cubs had been absolute failures, meet
ing every attempt to make friends will,
them with grows and snarls and frantic
though harmelss, efforts to bite and scratch
With their little claws.
while the demand for baby wild crcatIlr f
comes mostly from women Of means, it. j.
| not confined Cntirely to them. A few months
ago stalwart, bearded mnn, wearing a
somhwro and evidently from the West
| could sell him lion cub. didn't have one
/ on hand, but promised 20 pet it for him.
"Then he told ne why I've wanted it. He
was Il miner and had made n big strike in
the Idaho digging. s. he had taken trip
tnst for vacation. HI wished IN" cub as a
prrse nj 20 the boys in tn, old camp and as
m" m nto Of his visit to the big town.
"He left his address, and in due timr |
shipped n fairly well-GroWn Young lion 10
| the mining camp, as h. had tol mn that II
| didn't make any difference il The animal
/ was pretty large for n pet. The boys can
, handle it, all right said he. Perhaps they
could, but think that within y short time
| that cub will BE- abb" 10 make things live ~
enough to satisfy even Idaho min ~.
"Thc books which Law been written
! within the Inst few years dealing with ami
nal life from more svmpatIleti" point of
| Jew are no doubt partly responsible for
the increased demand for cubs ns pnt-. Of
course, as far n people are mad" kinder
| to wild creatures and more car FIJI in their
treatment of them 1t is a gain fer ihr bstter,
But the fad can he CARR ID too far
when all is said, young lion or tiger
has all the essentially fierce and dangerous
! qualities of his full-grnwn parents, II any
thing initiates him, tho desire 10 rend and
| tear is as strong a. in The adult All that
is lacking is the strength. And that 10