The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-05-17
TIGER MOST DIFFICULT
OF ANIMALS TO CONQUER

From the New York commercial-Adver-
tiser.
OF all wild animals trained for men
agerie and show purposes not one is as
hard to conquer as the tiger Compared
to the training of lions and elephants
the training of a tiger is as the break
ing in of a vicious boarhound to the first
lessons of etiquette of a chubby New
foundland puppy. Even the most expert
wild animal trainers balk at an assign
ment to break" tiger. Not more than
one in ten professional lion trainers has
the nerve to try his hand at the great,
ferocious, striped cats.
As a matter of fact, there is no such
thing as a tanned tiger" Few and far
between there are instances where the
animals are shown as trained and broken
in but the friendship of the animal for
the trainer who may have befriended 1t
for years hangs at the end of the mans
blacksnake whip From the day the &C
quaintance is made to the day man and
beast are separated there Is stealthy
warfare between them; the catlike sly
ness of the ponderous brute directed to-
ward the one aim of killing the man and
the vigilance of the master ever alert to
Illustrate that plan.
Almost throughout there is wide dl1-
ference between the methods used in
training a tiger and training a lion. TO
begin with unlike in the case of lion,
it is the tiger born in captivity that
makes the best subject to be cowed and
bullied into subsection. The less blood
thirsty and treacherous lion, trapped
when full grown, accepts his change of
fortune from the jungle to the cage with
all the proud oisdain shown in the lordly
features of the animal even after death.
He learns with wonderful intelligence
that the man who enters his cage and
who feeds and strokes him means no
harm In time he even becomes capaple
of q faithful friendship. 1t is only the
lion born in captivity who has drunk In
the thirst for blood with his mother
milk, who is apt to break loose at any
time, even long after training, ana TO
prove untamable ever afterward
Cunning and Sly.
Directly the opposite is the case with
the tiger. Cunning and sly, 1t is difficult
to gain the brutes confidence and lmpos-
sible to keep it unless through rear OF
torture 1t is only in the case OF tigers
born in captivity when the natural cum
-
been stunted, that the brute loses Just
enough self-confidence in its prowess to
be cowed and tanned.
one of the peculiarities in tanning
tiger is that the feat may be performed
much better by a man totally strange 10
tl41 animal than by the one VINO mas
helped rear it by the side of It's mother.
What the reason for this is few animal
men can explain, unless 1t is that the
fa Mt
wholesome fear when it encounters a
man totally strange.
The first step taken in training any
wild cat animal is to famiarize 1t as
much as possible with the fact that the
newcomer into its life means no harm.
Much depends upon the individual nature
of the animal to be trained in deciding
upon a proper course for the primary
lesson. If the brute is unusually treach-
erous he is given ample chance to work
out his plans against the trainer, who Is
continually on guard and seesS Ito 1t that
each attack results in failure.
Early Lessons.
The early lessons administered to a
tiger are ridiculously on the hide-and-
seek plan. The trainer stands in front of
the cage inviting the inmate to a steal
thy attack. Unle-- the tiger be an ex-
ceptionally quiet subject there Is not long
to wait Cunningly covering in corner
the tiger makes ready for the attack.
Nearer and nearer he inches and inches
toward the stranger, standing seemingly
unawares near the bars of the cage.
Other men may have fed the big fellow
for years. His old trainer the brute
would not think of attacking in this way.
But the stranger is an intruder, to be
struck from behind, where most tigers
attacks come, and therein lies the first
lesson.
AS the great paw with the cruel claws
shoots out between the bars the stranger
steps to one side. Nothing happens. Not
even a switch is brought down on the
dreadful paw. The stranger merely
stands and looks. So does the tiger. The
next move depends upon the desire of
the brute to work harm. If the claws are
withdrawn the trainer Is simply prepared
to undergo a second similar attack. II
the paw remains defiantly thrust through
the bars up rises slim, yellow wand In
the hand of the man. Slowly and with
full intent to show the brute what is
happening the wand is raised higher and
higher Then a swish, and with all the
strength of a powerful mans right arm,
down comes a rawhide across the threat
ening paw.
When Tiger Shows Fight.
If the animal shows fight there Is an
unfair duel between the paw and the
rawhide which can end but one way.
Then the tiger is left alone to cool off
and to ponder over what happened. I'm