Courtesy of Emile
In the extensive discussion's we have had over the mysterious arena fork, which I hope will continue for everybody's additional knowledge/understanding, I think we can conclude it is strictly a European wild animal training implement. In the background we see a wooden fork, different from the other forks we have looked at,with no tine in the middle, made out of one of the most durable woods next to rattan. Skilled trainer Emile Smith offers this insight: "I use it as a last resort for protection, or to break up fights. I use wood so as not to damage teeth, and don't like iron or aluminum." Makes sense. I can admit to it being useful for smaller felines such as leopards or cougars, but I still have a problem seeing it being of any use for larger animals such as lions, tigers, or bears. My opinion, it is a placebo, or a feeling of security that is a hold over in a tradition bound profession. That this particular fork was his fathers has got to be the most special thing in the world, and I can fully understand having it there just to have it. Dr. Marcan has a video tape of me "taking a hit" a couple of years ago. In less then 4 sec. a tiger covered 38 ft. ripped the whip and stick out of my hands, and slashed me with his left paw and right paw, froze for an .8 of a second which gave me time to crouch grab my whip and stick and defend myself. I promise you I would not have had the time to beat him to a fork or another means of defense across the cage. I have been involved in hundreds of fights, and dozens of protection situations. Reading instantly, anticipating, and reacting will save your life and the life of a cage occupant. If you need 2 or more seconds to get a "bigger gun" in a showdown at high noon, you are finished. Your gun needs to be drawn when your opponents eyes blink, anticipate/react. If you head for the rifle on the shelf at that moment, you will not make it. I think the philosophy of fast action, traditionally from the Beatty era, as opposed to the slower action of picture acts(pyramids), has led to different reactions/philosophies to the same situation. A Bruce Lee means of defense or a Vladimir Klitschko means of defense. Both equally effective, yet differing in concept and execution. Thanks for the insight from someone who has been there, Emile.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Arena fork facts continued
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
9 comments:
I assume that if the forks really work, they work best when there is a second man in the cage -- no uncommon in Europe, and eliminating that need for one person to do too many things at once AND change tools.
Tradition, as you note, is probably a part of it. I'm not a cat trainer, but I've spent a lot time in tiger cages and broken up fights using a heavy steel landscaping rake -- a pretty standard zoo tool. Because I "learned" to influence behaviors using a rake, it's probably the tool I would still put in the corner of the cage where somebody else might put a fork, or an axe handle, a heavy nylon/fiberglass rod (sorting stick,) or even a spray bottle with ammonia. Doesn't make it particularly good, or effective so much as it's something we learn how to use early on. It took getting knocked down for me to learn that the same rake that worked with Siberian tigers (who grew up with it) was useless with an elephant. I can see the "theory" behind the fork. But I wonder where the leverage comes from if it's used with a heavy cat? Hard to envision it with a male lion -- though I assume it's commonly used with lions. I think we need tape and a tutorial....
Ben,
There is very little of changing tools, in animal training. If we eliminate "I will make you" or "brute force" from our vocabulary we will never go there, or resort to it. 90% of all animal training is "psychological" or the "illusion of."
You mention "a heavy nylon/fiberglass rod (sorting stick)" The one I use for training is 14oz. it is used from the day they open their eyes until the day they die 20 years later, as is the buggy whip. I don't believe in putting a small rope on a small horse. In the case of leash cats, I will use a smaller gage chain, given the weight factor of chain. If you gain the illusion of strength when they are young, and maintain that psychological illusion there is no need for anything bigger as they mature. Your read and reaction to the situation will determine whether it is believed or not. I have been in situations when semi mature animals will need to be introduced to each other. In that case, I have a 20 oz. fiber glass shift pole, because chances are I am "going in", and I do not have the "psychological" advantage of reacting quick. But after the initial altercation, when the "psychological" advantage of reacting quick is established, we go to the 14 oz. for training. The smarter, quicker, and more experienced you are is dependent on how long you can retain the "psychological" edge over strength. That's why it is paramount that you see, read, and react to a "blink" of the eyes(there may be a reason that people never realized, why GGW new styled in the cage, instead working one behavior into another with his eyes on the animals at all times. Styling is for outside when you have nothing to protect.) Outsmarting is much more gratifying them overpowering.
I too just can't see any type of leverage being used to topple/push back a lion, tiger, or bear.
Wade
When I worked at Great Adventure, along with the 28 Africans & 16 white rhinos, I also tended to 35 ostriches. I found that a fork made alittle bigger and longer than the one Jewell New had in his cage, worked well with a Mad Male Ostrich!
Pretty good illustration of why "tools" used in animal handling/training lead to such controversy. In the story below there's nothing to indicate that the accused beats dogs. Because he's a hunter, a humane spokesperson suggests that it's likely that he's cruel dogs. What we know in reality is that he may have used a stick to break up a dog fight -- just as the rest of us might use a tool to break up a fight between other animals. I can only imagine the outcry if this gentleman had been carry a "fork."
Britain's Prince Edward accused of beating dog AFP/Getty Images/File – Prince Edward (pictured in 2007) has been in hot water with animal rights charities after using a stick …
LONDON (AFP) – Prince Edward has been in hot water with animal rights charities after using a stick to break up a dog fight.
Edward, the third son and youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II, was pictured in Sunday's newspapers waving the four-foot (1.2-metre) stick at the gundogs.
The 44-year-old Earl of Wessex was pictured in newspapers with his shotgun under his arm with his stick in the air and then with it very close to one of the dogs' heads.
The dogs were fighting over a dead pheasant during a shooting outing at Queen Elizabeth's private Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England, where the royals traditionally spend their winter break.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "It has not been determined that he did strike the dog.
"He broke up the fight with the dogs and pictures show him waving his stick around.
"We cannot confirm, however, whether he struck the dog."
Reports said the queen's husband Prince Philip, her second son Prince Andrew and Prince William, second in line to the throne, were also on the shoot.
Barry Hugill, spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports, added: "People in blood sports tend to show a complete disregard for the welfare of animals.
"He has set a truly sickening example."
Andrew Tyler, director of Animal Aid, added: "It is an offence to cause an animal unnecessary suffering.
"Hitting a dog is a pathetic, cowardly and vicious act -- it would appear he has had a royal tantrum."
It is not the first time that members of the royal family have been accused of animal cruelty during shoots.
Queen Elizabeth was photographed wringing the neck of a pheasant at Sandringham eight years ago.
Last year, Prince Harry, William's brother, was questioned by police over the shooting of two hen harriers, among Britain's rarest birds.
Ben,
That is why it is so very important to understand what the fork is and how it is used. I don't know if anybody bought the "leverage, lift it and throw it away" angle. It would also be dependent on who is using it. How many things are used wrong, because there is no "learning" understanding of it's use.
Wade
Wade, I understand the fork to used as a pinning/pushing tool, which I can imagine, though I wouldn't think it buys a lot of time. AND I've heard it described as a leverage tool, literally moving/lifting a cat. That's where I get confused, because while maybe you can "pitch" a leopard, or a cougar from a standing position -- you'd have to crouched down with the fulcrum point on the "lever" pretty low to lift and move a lion or tiger, or a big jaguar and it's hard to picture having any success at all with an adult male. That's why I keep thinking it's a tool for a burly second man, rather than the presenter.
Ben,
If we are talking adult animals that would be performing in an act, pushing/pinning doesn't cut it for lions, tigers, or bears. There are no second people in the majority of the acts that use it. Some yes, but not all. It is like somebody says to a horse trainer, "what are those things on your heels", and he responds, "they are for unloading hay from the hay loft."
Wade
Not sure I think they'd work with bears at all. Bears provide surprising little vulnerable target area. Have had a couple adult male lions hit the end of stick on a dead run, and they do turn, but the stick better be braced, because the impact is no joke. Would think a fork might accomplish the same thing, but like the stick it doesn't "end" anything it just breaks the forward momentum of flight/charge. Now maybe if the cats learn that when they're juveniles and the fork still provides real leverage, the sight of it works as a deterrent once they're bigger. Again, with all the speculation it would be nice to see some tape of somebody with experience actually using a fork.
Ben,
Every European cage bear act has one in the act, as do the feline acts.
Boy were you lucky to find adults that would turn after running into a stick. I wish I had found some of them. Mine all knocked me off my feet, or knocked the stick out of my hands.
Wade
Post a Comment