OF WILD ANIMALS 139 



motif of those dens, but it is easily told. We endeavored to 

 give each bear the following things: 



A very large and luxurious den, open to the sky, and 

 practically on a level with the world; 



Perfect sanitation; 



A great level playground of smooth concrete; 



High, sloping rocks to climb upon when tired of the level 

 floor; 



A swimming pool, always full and always clean; 



Openwork steel partitions between cages, to promote 

 sociability and cheerfulness; 



Plenty of sunlight, but an adequate amount of shade; 



Dry and dark sleeping dens with wooden floors, and 



Close-up views of all bears for all visitors. 

 , If there are anywhere in the wilds any bears as healthy, 

 happy and as secure in their life tenure as ours, I do not know 

 of them. The wild bear lives in hourly fear of being shot, 

 and of going to bed hungry. 



The service of our bear dens is based upon our knowledge 

 of bear pyschology. We knew in the beginning that about 97 

 per cent of our bears would come to us as cubs, or at least 

 when quite young, and we decided to take full advantage of 

 that fact. All our bears save half a dozen all told, have been 

 trained to permit the keepers of the dens to go into their 

 cages, and to make no fuss about it. The bears know that 

 when the keepers enter to do the morning housework, or at 

 any other time for any other purpose, they must at once 

 climb up to the gallery, above the sleeping dens, and stay there 

 until the keepers retire. A bear who is slow about going up 

 is sternly ordered to "Go on!" and if he shows any inclination 

 to disobey, a heavy hickory pick-handle is thrown at him with 

 no uncertain hand. 



Now, in grooming a herd of bears, a hickory pick-handle 

 leaves no room for argument. If it hits, it hurts. If it does 

 not hit a bear, it strikes the concrete floor or the rocks with 



