206 THE MINDS AND MANNERS 



in the presence of millions of children in the home sweat-shops 

 and factories working their little lives out for their daily crust 

 and a hard bed, what shall we think and say of the good, 

 kind-hearted people who are spending time and energy in 

 crusading against trained animal performances? 



The vast majority of performing animals are trained by 

 humane men and women, practicing kindness to the utmost; 

 and they are the last persons in the world who would be 

 willing to have their valuable stock roughly handled, neglected 

 or in any manner cruelly treated. 



So far as zoological parks and gardens are concerned, they 

 are no more in need of defense than the Rocky Mountains. 



Every large zoological park is a school of wild-animal 

 education and training; and it is literally a continuous per- 

 formance. Let no one suppose that there is no training of 

 wild beasts save for the circus ring and the vaudeville stage. 

 Of the total number of large and important mammals that 

 come into our zoological parks, the majority of them actually 

 are trained to play becomingly their respective parts. An 

 intractable and obstinate animal soon becomes a nuisance. 



The following, named in the order of their importance, are 

 the species whose zoological park training is a matter of 

 necessity: Elephants, bears, apes, hippopotami, rhinoceroses, 

 giraffes, bison, musk-ox, wild sheep, goats and deer, African 

 antelopes, wild swine, and wild horses, asses and zebras. Of 

 large birds the most conspicuous candidates for training in 

 park life are the ostriches, emus, cassowaries, cranes, pelicans, 

 swans, egrets and herons, geese, ducks, pheasants, macaws and 

 cockatoos, curassows, eagles and vultures. Among the reptiles, 

 the best trained are the giant tortoises, the pythons, boas, 

 alligators, crocodiles, iguanas and gopher snakes. 



Each one of these species is educated (i) to be peaceful, 

 and not attack their keepers; (2) to not fear their keepers; 

 (3) to do as they are bid about going here or there; (4) to 

 accept and eat the food that is provided for them, and (5) 



