OF WILD ANIMALS 211 



the great Carl, actually trained and performed with a huge 

 herd of dangerous polars to the number stated. 



In the Strand magazine for April, 1908, there is a fine 

 article by Arthur Harold about this group and its production. 

 It says that the bears were obtained when seven or eight 

 months old, in large lots, and all thrown in together. It took 

 a keeper between seven and eight months to educate them 

 out of their savage state, — ^by contact, kindness, sugar and 

 fruit, — and then they were turned over to the trainer, Mr. 

 Hagenbeck. They were taught to form p3n:amids, climb lad- 

 ders, shoot the chutes, ride in pony carriages, draw and ride 

 in sleds, drink from bottles, and work a see-saw. Various 

 individuals did individual tricks. The star performer was 

 Monk, the wrestling bear, who went with his trainer through 

 a fearsome wrestling performance. 



Concerning the temperament of that polar bear group 

 Mr. William Hagenbeck said: 



"Although I know every animal in the company, have 

 taught each one to recognize me, and have been among many 

 of them lor fifteen years, I can not now tell by their expressions 

 the moods of the animals. This is one of the charactertistics 

 of the polar bear. Their expression remains the same, and 

 it is impossible to detect by watching their faces whether they 

 are pleased or cross. Now in most wild animals, such as the 

 lion, you can tell by the expression of the beast's face and by 

 its actions whether it is in a good temper or not, . . . 

 The truth is, the polar bear is a most awkward beast to train. 

 In the first place its character is difficult to understand. He is 

 by nature very suspicious, and without the least warning is 

 apt to turn upon his trainer. Among the seventy bears that 

 have been taught to do tricks, only two of them are really fond 

 of their work." 



In the end, Mr. William Hagenbeck was very nearly killed 

 by one of these polar bears. I was with Carl Hagenbeck a 

 few hours after he received telegraphic news of the tragedy. 



