How was the circus lion domestication work done?

Don't talk about making a mistake, it's just a miracle if you don't eat them alive.

When it comes to tame the lion, you will think of the circus artists who mix themselves with all kinds of items with the lion: jumping around, climbing stairs, and even putting their heads into their mouths. If you've ever witnessed, you must have been chilling before the performances next to this extremely fierce companion, because obviously, the risk of transforming into food in their mouths is always visible. So what is the secret of lion dancers? And have they encountered any catastrophic incidents or not? Read on to get an answer.

An artist is tame a lion.

The first circus appeared in the United States in 1783. At this time, most of the circus acts were only at the level of . exhibitions. Similar to the zoo today, among the circus animals, most types of animals are locked in cages and the audience has to pay only to see them with their own eyes.

When the first tamed lion appeared and bravely walked over to this most dangerous animal, the repertoire with the lion became the most attractive repertoire. The artists who tamed lions, in the matches of the matches, stepped on the stage and showed the audience how the superiority of the human being compared to the animal, even if it is the lord of the forest paint. half. And how did they do that?

The technique of lion domestication has changed a lot over the years.

The technique of lion domestication has changed a lot over the years. The first lion domestication artist, Henri Martin , used the method of making friends with them slowly. Initially, he came into contact with them from outside the cage, then, when they became more accustomed to their presence, he began to slowly come into the cage with them. To ensure safety, he was always separated from them after the bars. By slowly narrowing such distance, the lions were gradually accustomed to his appearance.

This training style became obsolete when Isaac Van Amburgh appeared. He used quite violent methods to control lions. And then in Clyde Beatty's time, appearing almost a century later, whips, guns and new chairs were trendy.

Today, lion domestication techniques are more humane and therefore, guns and whips are almost eliminated from the game. The tactic of using fear to create discipline has become obsolete. Most of the lion domestication artists today incorporate the use of repetitive exercises, encouraging elements to gradually take over the trust of the lions. A few domesticated artists also use whips - but only to separate them from lions.

Today, chairs and whips are almost eliminated from the game.

When they had confidence and respect, they could teach the lion to perform the items in a certain pattern, in exchange for a food reward and words of encouragement. Usually, the lion trainer will raise him from a young age, and through it, they become more and more close to the lions when they grow up.

Most animal circus artisans train animals based on the classical doctrine of conditionalization . Conditionalizing classical, the doctrine of psychologist BF Skinner, is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology, based on the foundation of conditional reflexes.

Using this theory, domesticated artisans teach animals to behave based on their cues, then have rewards if the animal does it right. Whenever they do the right thing for the trainer - or even just need to be approximate - the trainer will be rewarded (usually using food). Positive reinforcement of a certain behavior will increase the likelihood of it happening again.

The circus or barn is not the natural habitat of the forest lord.

Try to follow the following example: You are a lion trainer, and you want the lion to jump over a circle hanging when you signal. Using conditional doctrine, you will reward your lion whenever it moves closer to the ring. Some trainers use a fixed goal to help shape this behavior. Whenever the lion touches the nose on the target, it will receive a reward. After that, you will begin to move the target in a circle, to ensure that the lion always follows that goal. As a result, the lion will move, or act according to your wishes.

The circus or barn is not the natural habitat of the forest lord. Don't expect absolute safety when you catch a lion, instead of raging on the vast grasslands of Africa, now you have to shrug and do whatever you want. Most animal welfare advocates claim that attacks occur when animals are agitated and out of control.

Wild animals have different needs for diet, environment, living conditions and climate. However, in a circus, all animals are kept in the same environment. So it is not surprising that one day, an animal suddenly loses control and attacks humans.

Conquering a lion is always one of the most awaited repertoire.

Most animal welfare organizations support the use of humanitarian training techniques, but some groups say that behind the curtain, animal violence is hard to avoid. off. Therefore, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) signed the Animal Welfare Act into law in 1966, and they also regularly checked the compliance with this law at all circuses, zoos and teams. Other animal management officials. All infringement reports are publicly available on this organization's website.

Anyway, tame a lion is always one of the most awaited repertoire. It's hard to know why, because they satisfy the desire to master and control everything of humanity, or because the excitement comes from the dangers of facing the most violent animal? Only knowing that, as long as those desires exist, perhaps the lion circus will hardly be removed.