Saturday, September 20, 2008
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A Blog designed for discussion of topics related to, but not limited to, Circus, Zoos, Animal Training, and Animal Welfare/Husbandry. Sometimes opening up the dialog is the best starting point of all. And if for nothing else when people who agree and don't agree, get together and start discussing it, it will open up a lot of peoples minds. Debate and discussion even amongst themselves opens a window where there wasn't one before.
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4 comments:
I pointed this video out many weeks ago but it never appeared on this blog.
I have personally watched this act in Thailand but the hind leg walk was never included when I was there. It is normally not a very exciting show but this walk, if and when its included, is fantastic. I will return again this December to the 'Sri Ratcha Tiger Zoo' 100 miles south of Bangkok. Dion
Dion,
These are different animals. The tape you sent they were white, these are gold.
I will now mention the video I have seen of these "barbarians" and their "training" methods. I don't like to mention thing like this, as there are actually people who will then attempt/or try it. In the video they were training a young white tiger, approximately 8-9 months old, no more then a year old. There were two people on either side of it on a collar with leashes. They jerked it up, and drove it forward, while the "trainer" hit it's front feet with a stick to keep it back. I assume the animal was declawed, as there were a number of times when the poor thing grabbed their legs out of desperation. Don't forget this is a country that keeps tough male elephants on opium to keep them "handleable." I assume they "factory mass produce" these hind leg tigers, as eventually, they are not physically capable of the behavior, due to permanent physical damage. If you and Adam who are both in experience, look close you will not an underdeveloped flank/croup, and the animal limping into the walk on it's right leg. You will also note if you look close at the tail end of the tape when the unfortunate animal gets one it's seat a lump in the middle of it's back. It's back has become "roached" which is a permanent disability.
Everybody, public as well as trainers, need to understand what they are looking at. The end will never justify the means, and it is the reason a standard is so important, at least in a humane society, and no Adam this is not a nice hind leg walk. Any more then the piaffe taught with electricity, as is done by some in Mexico is an impressive piaffe. The "cooking" of the animals mind will never justify it as spectacular.
If you take the time to study, learn, and understand the pistons and camshafts(locomotion/movement) you will read the damage done, and not be impressed at what is being done. Remember the "gentle" trainer usually has the biggest stick. Learn what the public "show" is hiding.
Wade
Wade
I didn't pay as much attention to the animal's age as you did. I'm impressed with your expert eye and explanation.
That Thailand is not a humane society- I see it everyday when I'm staying there. Stray dogs, with ribs showing severely, and full cases of mange are left to die in public. The only time a dog is killed is if it becomes a chicken killer.
There are no traveling circuses in Thailand. The 'Sri Ratcha Tiger Zoo' has the only circus show that I know of. The cat act (only tigers) a few chimps and short one bear act, compose the whole show. Half an hour tops. There is minimal showmanship by the presenters.
Sri Ratcha Tiger Zoo has abut 10 elephants for rides and they always look well cared for according to what Okie Carr taught me on C&B. Never bull hook use in public either. I would not doubt the cats are declawed but was never able to really see for sure. I have suspected for the last 10 years that this place can afford the cost of operations by 'farming' the tigers. Why else would one place have a minimum of 80 and upwards of 150 cats
AT ONE TIME ? They are sold to China probably. Babies are always on show for the tourists ($5 gets you a bottle of milk and a cub, with photo). This (photo op is the part that really pisses me off.
I never saw a white animal there yet. But I only go about every two months.
Thanks for pointing out the facts. D i o n
Dion,
Thank you. I have spent my life studying animals, and "why" they do what they do, not what they do. 90% of my profession is only concerned with getting a hand shake or a double cheek kiss at the end of the performance. If you eliminated the " cute and charming fan factor" from a multitude of "great" trainers/presenters resumes they would be forgotten in 10 minutes and scoffed at.
I tell my son and Casey continuously, study, study, study, the animals movement. Stare at two tigers and you will see they move as different as two horses because of their physical structure/breeding. Some are suited for a behavior and some are not. What parts of the body have to be engaged in order for the behavior to work? If you train from the "inside out", 50% of abuse will be eliminated. But you don't learn that by being the first one to raise your hand, when somebody says, "who wants to be the tiger trainer today?"
Thailand is a beautiful country as is China. The history, culture, architecture is inspiring and breathtaking. Most of what they do today with animals, whether it is in zoo's, elephant roundups etc, is geared for the lucrative tourist trade. Tourists want a quick entertainment and don't have time to worry about the animals. They are buzzing just to be there. The more civilized a culture the more they are aware of things like animal welfare. But we must be careful we go not go the the other end of the "wrong" scale as Peta and a few others have. If there is a standard and only individuals who meet that standard are allowed to practice the craft, there would be less acts, because the few qualified could not keep up with the acts that would be needed. Instead even our nation chooses to piss it into oblivion. It will be 200 years before Thailand and China reach that point, but it is just around the corner for us unless we change.
Wade
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