WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY. 615 



the older school of animal trainers. This is so well described in 

 Hagenbeck's book, " Beasts and Men." that I give it /;; exfenso : — 



With the lower animals as with human heings, real insight into their 

 character can only be obtained l)y treating them sympathetically. This 

 essential fact, which is now understood by all successful animal trainers, 

 ought in no way to surprise us, for the brute intelligence differs from the 

 human in degree only, not in kind. Tt is now universally recognised that 

 each animal has its own peculiar characteristics, its own idiosyncrasies 

 over and above the general psychological character which it shares with 

 all other members of its species. This is a discovery I had to make for 

 myself, and a most important one it is for the trainer, for I say. without 

 fear of contradiction, that no trainer is fit for his vocation who is unable 

 to read the character of the individual animals which he has to train. 

 And so it came about that when I introduced the humane system of 

 training, as I may call it, I not only substituted for the whip and the 

 red-hot iron a kindly method of educating the creatures (based upon an 

 intelligent system of rewards and punishments), but I also instituted the 

 practice of stud3-ing the character of each individual before including it in 

 a troupe. 



In Pretoria we have three Lions (two females and a male. 

 The yonng female, although menagerie-born, cannot be trusted, 

 and always appears to be watching for a chance of seizing one. 

 The old Lioness and the Lion, on the other hand, are tame and 

 trustworthy, and during all the years that I have known them, 

 have never attempted to bite or scratch me. They know me so 

 well. too. that one call is usually sufficient to bring them out and 

 up to the bars for the customary patting and stroking. 



The two Tigers which we possess, on the other hand, are 

 fierce, savage brutes. They show especial animosity towards 

 their keeper, and seem to dislike everyone connected with the 

 Gardens. They nevertheless remain supremely indifferent to 

 the general ])ublic. Hagenback mentions several cases, how- 

 ever, where Bengal Tigers have been most trustworthy animals, 

 and possessed excellent memories for the master whom they had 

 learnt to know and to love. 



The Cheetah is. according to Bartlett, " timid, gentle, and 

 verv excitable." I have found Cheetahs certainly gentle and 

 rather shy, becoming excited at the approach of any unknown 

 animal ; but most carnivores would do this. Cheetahs seem to 

 be more trustworthy than any of the other larger felines, and, 

 as is generally known, they are trained and used by the Llindoos 

 to chase and capture game, especially Blackbtick. When brought 

 up with another animal, they retain this friendship when full 

 grown. A Cheetah in the Pretoria Gardens grew up with a 

 Baboon, and they were firm friends until deatli parted them. 

 There is at present a full-grown example in the Pretoria Gardens 

 which has a common cat for its companion, and very good friends 

 they are too. In the cage next door to the Cheetah is a Leo- 

 pard of abotit the same age, and, like it, hand-reared. The 

 difference in the natures of the two brutes can be seen any day 

 at meal times, as the Leopard becomes nasty when it sees blood, 

 and has to be chained up before the keeper can enter its cage 



