The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-17
TEACHING LIONS TRICKS.
Big Cat in the Arena Is Wild Beast
= Still. -

Big Cdt IN the arena Is w I10 00aSt
Still. - -
zone of the most noticeable features
of the taste of the American public for
amusementS has been the increasing in
terest shown in recent years in the ex-
hibition of trained animals. especially OF
animals by nature savage and fero-
cious," observed man who had been
in the show business for many years.
yet, despite the hundreds of exhibi-
tons of this sort which have been given,
there is one point that the sightseeing
public has entirely failed to co1norc-
bend They think the lions, tigers, bears
and other sharped toothed and long
clawed creatures which perform SO
many difficult tricks with such appar-
ent Willingness have been tanned. Not
one has, or, in my opinion. ever Will be-
They have been trained. an entirely diff
ferent proposition. This natural mis-
take on the part of the spectators Is not
matter of much moment But II an
animal trainer should make the same
mistake his career would be short.
"A lion or tiger may be taught to
do all sorts of tricks and apparently
to yield ready obedience to his trainer.
but underneath this superficial train
ing is the real, inherited wild beast
nature. which sooner or later is almost
certain to crop out.
Animals. especially the larger and
stronger ones, are not bright. A lion
does not -need to trouble himself about
strategy in order to overcome his prey
or to protect himself. His giant mus
cles and wonderful agility settle those
problems for him.. For this reason the
animal mind is better developed in
weaker creatu who cannot trust to
| their unaided physical qualifications to
attain their prey or prevent themselves
from being the prey of others.
ITO the lion; tiger and jaguar the
| trainer is a mysterious being. He
knows that man is creature of
strange and wonderful powers. and the
unknown inspires feeling of awe in
| him, exactly as it does in savage or
half-civilized man. To this unknown
power the lion yields obediance. but
almost always grudging obedience.
Combined with the feeling that <aau
is creature of mysterious powers goes
an ignorance of the animals own
strength. A tiger would crush his
trainers skull with one blow OF bis
paw, but the tiger does not appreciate
this fact. 1t is the lack of apDrecia-
that makes the beast seem go appar-
emily tractahle and obedient.
tOnce let a tiger or a lion appreciate
that his trainer is helpless against him.
and that animals value as a performer
is gone forever. He not only will not
go through his accustomed tricks. but
il any effort is made to force him he is
almost certain to turn on his trainer.
Any man who expects to make a sue
cess of training wild animals must de-
vote his whole time to studying the
peculiarities of his individual charges.
He thus gradually acquires an insight
into their characters and dispositions
which may enable him to tell the mo-
ment when one of them has suddenly
awakened to realization of his own
strength.
But animals are cunning. and some
times a trainer does not realize that
| this perception of their Drowess has
come to them until it is too late. Then
there is another tragedy.
hi f-rY,7 e &1.AS. 11zxr- oal
strength. as compared with that of
man. is one of the reasons why animals
captured in their native wilds are more
likely to make good performers than
those born in captivity. A lion born in
civilization associates with men from
| the moment he ooens his eyes as a
furry, playful cub. Man is not the
strange, awe-inspiring creature to him
or fully grown. This feeling of faInili-
arity tends to make the cage-borK ami
NAL a bad subject for training.
There is another and even more inn
portant reason why animals born in
| captivity are dangerous pupils. They
are almost certain to realize their own
strength and ability to take care of
themselves. A cub, for instance, is
Detted until it attains a fair size Then
comes a day when. in trying to escape
from some one who is holding it, the
young lion uses its claws. They are
/ by this time sharp and long enough to
finds himself free in an instant. And in
| that instant he has learned the first
lesson which tends to make him use
| less as a trained animal-that he has
claws and teeth. and that the use of
| them Will enable him to escape from
! d1sagreeable surroundings. AS he grows
| larger and stronger this lesson is more
| and more impressed on his mind. When
| he has attained his full strength the
only place for him will be behind the
bars of a stTCng cage. The instances
that have been successfully trained are
few.
zone Of the mistakes of the general
public which does not recognize nat
animals are trained not learned, is a
belief that wild beasts in many cases
have an affection for their keepers and
trainers. A lion will often purr and
rubhimself against the bars of his cage
at the approach of his trainer This is
| associate the t rainer with the good
things of life. The trainer feeds him, he
strokes the fur and rubs the back of
the big cat, and does many other things
which the animal likes. Therefore, the
animal is glad to see him.
"A lion may show the greatest de-
light at the approach of his trainer and
an hour later, if the trainer happens to
slip and fall or make some mistake
with his animals, that same lion will be
on him in a second. This is even more
true of tigers, leopards and 1aguars
which are more treacherous and far
quicker to anger than a lion. New
York Sun.
All Sentenced TO Prison.