Cartoon was done by Phil May a British caricaturist who died in 1903. This would seem to be a pretty impossible behavior, and even if it wasn't, why would you do it?
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Lion Cartoon--1890
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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5 comments:
I agree, it's a odd behavior but
tricycle riding must has been a popular in the early 1900s. Haverman's sea lion act at the STL Zoo in 1933 had a tricycle riding pinniped. I believe I've seen photos of lions riding tricycles. The tricycles worked like some of the recent elephant trikes, pedaled with the front feet.
Jim,
I am sure the front wheel/handlebars were "fixed" like am elephant trike. A few skilled bear trainers, Herta Cuneo, James C. Hall, Johnny Welde have taught bears to ride in a figure 8, but with elephants, and their amazing dexterity the front end is gaffed. I would imagine it is because they just stand on it, and use the front feet to peddle. With elephant it is one of those behaviors that I always felt took forever to get set up, then was over in a moment, without much happening, similar to a wheel/barrel or a high wire in a cage act. Does anybody know who the last "tricycle riding elephant" in the United States was?
Wade
Cuneo's Nicolas?
On an elephant trike with all the weigh up front you'd need power steering.
Connie Weld had a tricycle riding jaguar, except it was actually motorized and the jag's feet were held on the pedals with straps and just went round because the trike was moving.
Must have been Nick?
Anonymous,
Come on, Connie Weldie's jag strapped to a moving machine(yes, I remember that sad joke) didn't make it James Dean, anymore then strapping a chimp to the nose of a rocket made him Neal Armstrong.
Yes, Nic was the last Evil Knievel elephant trained for the "task". Preceded by Tyke who was originally Mike, which rhymes with trike.
Wade
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