136 BEASTS AND MEN 
Wilhelm Hagenbeck, who was one of the early pioneers of 
modern methods and has by his long experience become ‘a 
past-master in the art of training wild beasts. Nearly all the 
troupes which he now exhibits have been collected and broken 
in by himself, though of late years he has received some as- 
sistance from his son. One of his most remarkable achieve- 
ments was the training of a young lion to ride on the back of 
a horse and in that position to perform a variety of equestrian 
tricks. ee 
Wilhelm Hagenbeck also was the first to introduce troupes 
of polar bears into the circus. Before his time it was held 
that polar bears were untrainable ; and to him belongs the 
Te 
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Polar bears in the arena. 
credit of showing the error of this view. With great patience 
and care their education is quite practicable, though at certain 
periods of the year they become extraordinarily restless and 
intractable. At this season it requires all the tact and ability 
that the trainer possesses to keep the creatures under control. 
The other species of bears—Russian, American and Indian— 
all take kindly to performing exhibitions during the first few 
years of their lives. But even they; when they have reached 
the age of three or four, are apt to become peevish and danger- 
ous. Bears, although some of the most amusing of all perform- 
ers, are responsible for more accidents than any other animals. 
In the same way that many of the performing troupes 
throughout the world have been trained in my establishment, 
so too their masters have in many cases received their early 
