The first active step which a trainer takes in the education of an
animal which has never been handled is to test its temper. I recall
very distinctly watching an excellent trainer working a leopard and a
jaguar from start to finish. No man had ever been into the cage along
with these vicious brutes before "Frenchy," as we called this crack
trainer, laughingly took up his tools and slipped gracefully through
the iron door which closed behind him with a sharp bang. Realizing that
these animals, which were full grown, belonged to the most spiteful and
treacherous of the cat kind, I scrutinized the face of Frenchy to see
if I could possibly detect the slightest sign of inward anxiety or
disturbance. Not the slightest evidence could I see to indicate that he
approached his dangerous task with a particle more excitement than any
business man feels in going to his daily work.
[Illustration: THE EARLY STEPS IN TRAINING WILD ANIMALS.]
As he slipped into the cage he thrust before him an ordinary kitchen
chair of light, hard wood. This was held in his left hand by gripping
two of the central spindles of the back, thereby obtaining an excellent
purchase which enabled him easily to hold the chair outstretched with
its legs pointed directly at the animals. In his right hand he carried
a short iron training-rod. The only other article which he used in his
first lesson was a stout, movable bracket, which could be instantly
hooked upon any of the horizontal bars which extended the length of the
cage in front.
The instant the trainer faced his pupils there was a regular feline
explosion--a medley of snarls, growls and hisses. And the way those
spotted paws slapped and cuffed the rounds of the extended chair which
served as a shield to Frenchy's legs was something to be remembered.
Never before had I seen such a startling exhibition of feline quickness
as in this preliminary skirmish between master and pupils. The latter's
claws seemed to be everywhere in a moment and played a lively tattoo on
the shield and against the point of the rod with which the trainer
protected himself. During all this excitement the trainer was as calm
as if standing safely outside the cage. However, he did make some
lively thrusts with his rod as the leopard attempted to dash under the
legs of the chair.
While one of the beasts was engaged in carrying on an offensive
warfare, the other would invariably attempt to sneak behind the
trainer. How alert the latter was to the movements of the creature
which apparently claimed little of his attention was impressed on me by
the fact that every time the crouching animal attempted to steal past
the trainer he was met with the quick, sidewise thrusts of the prod,
which sent him back spitting and hissing into the corner.