THE TAMING OF YOUNG ANIMALS 207 



'and they gradually fade away as the animal grows up, and are 

 least of all in fully grown and independent creatures of high intelli- 

 gence. These, because they are intelligent, may learn, even when 

 they have been captured as adults, that they have nothing to fear, 

 that the bars of their cage or the boundaries of their enclosure 

 not only restrain them from attacking persons outside, but restrain 

 the persons outside from disturbing them. Very fierce and fully 

 adult mammals will settle down quietly to captivity, will learn 

 that the visit of a keeper is a pleasant source of food, that cleaning 

 out the litter and washing the cage are not schemes to annoy them, 

 and almost in proportion to their intelligence will tolerate captivity. 

 'The shyest of wild birds will breed peacefully a few inches from 

 the wirework of their enclosure, or will display complete fearless- 

 mess of the visitors who are on the other side of the fence, often 

 isimply because birds that are naturally intelligent have learned to 

 Ibe shy in the wild condition, and equally learn not to be shy where 

 'they are protected. Wood-pigeons in the open fields are amongst 

 the shyest and wariest of the native creatures of Great Britain, 

 but they have learned almost complete fearlessness in the London 

 parks. But these are not tame ; they have no pleasure in the society 

 of man or real confidence in him. These qualities can be acquired 

 only when the young creatures are taken over by man whilst they 

 are still young and when it is still their natural habit to be cherished 

 and protected. Later on in this chapter I shall say something 

 about the duration of tameness as young animals grow up. It 

 is clear; however, that we must be prepared to find that it may 

 not last. Just as it is the natural instinct of parents to cherish 

 their young, so also a time comes, except in gregarious animals, 

 when this instinct is reversed, and when the parents drive away 

 their young, and when the young themselves have to face the perils 

 •of life with a wary suspicion and a fierceness that are extremely 

 different from their former habits. And even in gregarious animals, 

 a time comes when the savage battle of sex begins, and when 

 creatures that at all other times retain the friendly and gentle 

 habits of youth are dangerous to approach. 



All young primates are gentle and easy to tame. The gorilla 

 is reported to be one of the most savage, as he is one of the most 

 powerful and well armed, of creatures. I do not think that any 

 adult gorilla has ever been captured alive. But young gorillas 

 are very well known, and many individuals have been brought to 

 Europe at ages var5dng from a few months to five or six years. I, 



