XXV 



FIGHTING WITH WILD ANIMALS 



THE study of the intelligence and temperaments of wild 

 animals is by no means a pursuit of academic interest 

 only. Men now are mixing up with dangerous wild 

 beasts far more extensively than ever before, and many times 

 a life or death issue hangs upon the man's understanding of the 

 animal mind. I could cite a long and gruesome list of trainers, 

 keepers and park owners who have been killed by the animals 

 they did not correctly understand. 



Not long ago, it was a park owner who was killed by a 

 dangerous deer. Next it was a bull elk who killed the keeper 

 who imdertook to show that the animal was afraid of him. 

 In Idaho we saw a death-penalty mistake with a bull buffalo. 

 Recently, in Spain, an American ape trainer was killed by his 

 big male chimpanzee. Recently in Switzerland a snake- 

 charmer was strangled and killed on the stage by her python. 



Men who keep or who handle dangerous animals owe it to 

 themselves, their heirs and their assigns to know the animal 

 mind and temperament, and to keep on the safe side. 



In view of the tragedies and near-tragedies that animal 

 trainers and keepers have been through during the past twenty 

 years, I am desirous of so vividly exhibiting the wild animal 

 mind and temper that at least a few of the mistakes of the past 

 may be avoided in the future. Fortunately I am able to state 

 that thus far no one ever has been killed by all animal in the 

 Zoological Park; but several of our men have been severely 

 hurt. The writer hereof carries two useless fingers on his best 

 hand as a reminder of a fracas with a savage bear. 



302 



