Let's break this thing down.

A tough pill to swallow in life, is when animal rights people, and often good intentioned folks with a pet dog or cat, who know nothing about what it is you do, attempt to tell you how to do it, because they "just know", when fact is, they are as dumb as a bag of hammer's about animal behavior. It is my desire in life to have everyone understand what they are seeing, so that possibly they will look at it different, from an educated eye, and not an eye jaded by bias and ignorance. Before I start, I want to say, with all due respect this is a very, very basic simple animal act, lacking any group or "muscle" tricks. I hope not to offend anyone, but If I do, oh well because that is just what it is. Also simplified is the small number of animals. You have just one or two different personalities to deal with, and not a multitude that you would have to deal with, with a large group of 15 to 20. Working with all males does makes it tougher, regardless of whether it is lions, tigers, or leopards. The safest act to work/train is all female, and the more males you mix into the equation the more problems you will have. I could not find the 2nd clip mentioned, but I don't think it is necessary. I think we can ascertain what moment in the act, the initial attack occurred, a year and a half later, in the clip below. This of course is "arm chair quarterbacking", but it is based on observation of the arena below, plus the benefit of almost 35 years of studying animal behavior. I believe the attack occurred at exactly 4:27-4:28 in the video above. Now let us put the two clips together without a year and a half in between. We have discussed "the look/the feeling/the sense" in the past. Remember an animal has no spoken vocabulary, they survive by responding by "the look/the feeling/the sense." Nothing happens spontaneously with animals. You as a human just missed the advance warning of "the look/the feeling/the sense, as your survival instincts have become weakened by vocabulary or advance spoken warning. I am going to try to give you that "connection/bond" that most animal lovers think they have, yet don't have any idea of what it really is. I am going to attempt to really help you "read their minds" without a vocabulary. I will use "human" terms as that is easier to comprehend, by no means inferring that they think like humans. I want you to think like a lion for a moment.

If this was an American cage act, you would count the 6 seats standing at the back of the arena looking to the the front, from your right as 1,2, 3, and from your left as 1,2,3, with a "middle seat". When you are turned around working the animals, your assistant has to be sharp because he is looking at it reversed. When you say, put a stick on the 3rd seat on the left, you mean "Your" left and not "His" left.

As this is a European cage act, and the seats are lined up at the front, opposite of an American act with the seat's split by the entrance door, standing at the back looking to the front, from you right the seats will be 1,2,3,4,5,6, 7. As we will be at the front looking to the back, like a skilled assistant it will be reversed, instead being from our left 1,2,3,4,5,6,7. The middle seat(American) or 4th seat(European) is inconsequential as it is for the dog temporarily, and there are only 6 lions in the act. I will give the 3 animals who had the most important part in the incident below, names and personalities and the rest, numbers and personalities. The important animals are King, Prince and Joker. The others will be 3,4, and 5.

In the clip above: The seats are staggered in size 1 tall, 2 short, 3 tall but different, 4 dog tall, 5 tall but different, 6 short, and 7 tall. The "different" seats tell me that this is a new behavior in the act, and anything was used for a seat, as well as the scrawny immature manes of numbers 3 and 4, who are the one's the dog jumps over, and are most likely the newest. Lion 4, immature swing lion goes to seat 5, and the next lion in, is immature lion 3. He obviously likes the wife, who probably raised him, and is putting him on his seat. His mental immaturity(as well as his physical immaturity of sparse mane) is reveled by his "apprehension" of being in the arena by glancing out at the audience, as he goes to his seat. Husband stay's with immature lion 4(swing) and reassures him as wife seats immature 3. Note immature 3 tense and not flopping over relaxed as they are laying down, for the dog jump over as immature number 4 does. 3 is a baby with a submissive personality and 4 is a baby with a dominant personality(Beta and Alpha, with Omega at the bottom rungs for any folks impressed with those terms.)

The 3rd lion in is timid mature number 5 and he goes to seat six. The 4th lion in is timid mature Joker and he goes to seat 7(you can tell they are timid or Omega by the way they walk, and that fact they work alone. The last two in the cage, walking boldly in this order are mature King, followed by mature Prince(remember that, because you just got your first "tell" or look/feeling/sense.) That's the tag team of King Alpha and Prince Beta. They know how to read each others mind. Now develop a true bond and not some imagined "I love them like my children" human bond, and READ their minds, with no vocabulary.

The first behavior(that is a real loose term for this kind of action) is the plank walk and first across is comfortable Beta Prince followed by timid Omega Joker,(looking anyplace and everyplace except at the other lions. Timid Joker is followed by arrogant King. AT THAT MOMENT THE FIRST ATTACK OCCURRED BY KING. But don't worry about that now, as we will "visualize it" in the second clip.

The second behavior involves moving the plank lower so that the lions can stretch on it. Note the same sequence of animals. Omega Joker, who must be made to go up by both people, followed by comfortable Prince who goes right up, lastly joined by arrogant King who say's "lets see if you can make me. Note Omega Joker sucking up to comfortable Prince and arrogant King. At this moment he could care less about the humans. He likes them alright, but is more afraid of other lions, and ignores the humans and grovels to the lions. Watch King get the first of many pieces of meat. They either had problems in the past with him, or have seen them coming, and are trying to avoid it, by "patching" with a piece of meat. They haven't prevented the eventual outcome, they have just delayed it.

Meat/carrot/fish/reward is used in the initial stages of training as a means to "pay them" for the proper step, either vocally or with a hand signal. An animal that you are not "trapped" with such as a killer whale, sea lion, falcon etc. that has the ability to "flee" if they become confused, belligerent, lazy etc. is always kept on the reward as a motivation to "stay with you." An animal that you are "trapped" with such as a tiger, or on a horse's back, or holding an elephant at your shoulder must be weaned off of the reward once they comprehend what is expected of them as a completed behavior. If they must be lead/rewarded through their life the trainer has no real control. Only imaginary control, falsely thinking the animal respects you and is listening to you. Wrong. He doesn't respect you, isn't properly conditioned, and is only respecting the reward. Imagine if the General said, Charge and one or a number of the soldiers said, no, not unless we get some K Rations. When a General say's "go" or "come here", he is not negotiating and he is not asking for an opinion. The soldier was taught long ago through a process of rewarding what to do. Now is the time to DO IT. The reward MIGHT come after the completion of the learned behavior, IF you have performed admirably, and POSSIBLY if the general wants to give you one. Now you have respect, which is love and apprehension combined. Don't think for a moment, just because an animal is doing what he is told because he is getting a reward, that he respects or loves you. When the going get tough or the shit hit's the fan they are the first one's either initiating it or getting out of Dodge when it does happen. You are on your own, they have nobodies back, but their own.

Now King jumps across, then Joker goes to his seat, and Prince is given a piece of meat. The "meat hounds" King is going be be coming in a year and a half, and Prince is going to be going south, and covering his own back by following his Alpha King.

Note that neither 3,4, or 5 have done anything at this point. All King, Prince, and Joker have done is the same behavior just with the equipment set differently. King and Prince are the only one's who have gotten meat. Omega Joker want's no trouble and only want's to be left alone so he doesn't die.

Now we start the wheel with a piece of meat of meat for Prince. Note King pushing him around. That is your third clue King is Alpha, the first was when he entered the arena first and Prince followed, the second was that they worked together, with Prince leading and King following seeing to the safety of his "bitch" or "friend" if you like a less offensive word for Beta follower.

Note Alpha King return to his seat while Beta Prince flops over like comfortable. Because he and King are mature,(not like immature 3 and 4 who flopped dominantly during the dog jump over), he is flopping submissively. That is the "counterfitness" of a mature contact animal. Note Prince's stiff jerking tail much like Joker. He want's no more trouble then Joker, he just is comfortable knowing King is in his corner(their a tag team remember) if something happens.

After all are on their seats, that plank for the walk across and stretch are removed and placed outside. That's how I can assume when the attack below, which we don't see occurred. The plank is still in the arena in the walk across position.

Now we see the next behavior, Prince going high followed by King(note a pattern, Prince followed by King) the Joker going high followed by 5 who is as mature as Joker, Prince and King but has done nothing to this point. He is the bottom man in this pride of 4 lions(the babies haven't been invited to the table yet) Beta Prince is willing as long as Alpha King authorizes it. Omega Joker will go high and a few other behaviors as long as he is left alone, and 5 the least most import one in the pride and the basement Omega is scared of his own shadow and can just barely move 5 steps to a new seat. He and King are one the easiest places. King because he will not be "made" to do anything he doesn't want to, and number 5 because that is all is petrified psyche can handle. King get's another piece of meat, just for not making a problem and watch as Prince sit's up willing and Joker has to be forced with a flick of the whip. This is what I meant, by my statement earlier about some acts being hard and some being easy. Imagine if you had to sit them all up, and there was 15 instead of 4 with two given the option of not sitting up. Some pilots fly Cobra fighter jet's and some pilot's fly Cessina airplanes. They are both pilots, they just need different skills.

Now they go back to their seats, first King because if there is a problem he will cause it, followed by Prince, as the tag team is attached at the hip, directed by only the husband, followed by 5 and lastly Joker directed by both the husband and wife because they will tolerate all kinds of pressure before they do anything wrong, God forbid refuse. Now King get's another piece of meat, and their is know doubt who is the Ruler of this Kingdom. Now Prince is lead with another piece of meat to start the jump over(note the same sequence as for the wheel, Prince lead, King following) King jumps tries to bolt to his seat but the wife blocks him and he is given meat to stay. After the completion of the lame circle jump with Alpha King pushing Beta Prince, Alpha King is the first to lay down which is what he would rather do, followed by Beta Prince flopping submissivly. He is not being friendly to the people. He is just waiting until he matures and the testosterone hits then he can be King. Now watch friendly, "woggy woogy I wove you people's", counterfeit Prince in the clip below.




At the start of this tape imagine you are just about ready to watch the plank walk. Remember comfortable curious acting Prince went first followed by scared and looking every place and anyplace Joker? As Joker landed on the other side, Alpha King instead of going up to follow, hit the bottom pedestal, and used it as a spring board to attack. Omega Joker froze and stayed as Alpha King didn't move him, and curious comfortable, friendly, woogy woogy Prince jumped down to see why the pedestal was tipped over. Basement Omega number 5's pedestal tipped over as he flew to jump on the empty dog pedestal as King was bringing the coup right to his only safe place in the world, and immature confused at this moment baby 3 doesn't know whether to shit or go blind. He has sprung off his seat at the sudden entrance of a lion and not the dog and is attempting to suck up to the bigger lion as well as looking to "mom" for protection as well as begging King to leave him alone. King is "right handed." That is why he planted/lead with his left foot, struck with his right and followed with a left momentum of which took he and Pinko to the left. But when King broke he headed to the front by immature 3 and basement 5. Swinging 4 is just trying to blend into the background hoping nodody see's him. He is mature enough he doesn't need momma protection, and he sure doesn't need King's trouble. King is mature enough to know the assistants with the shift sticks, who put him in each show are at the back to prevent any problems, so he goes to the only place available where he is in control, to the front. Now the tape below continues. I would never work an act with someone in the cage, although it is common place in Europe. Although it does make working the act easier, and not as many skill's are needed, the one down side is if it goes south the right hand can't be sure the left hand does what it is supposed to do. My right hand KNOW'S what my left hand is going to do when something reachs melt down. My right hand does NOT KNOW what your left hand is going to do when the same meltdown occurs.

King, confused as most animals are when they challange(should I or shouldn't I? What will be the outcome? Will I win or lose?) try's to go back to his seat, and the wife blocks him from it. Either by mistake or intention, but it is something that King is conditioned for as we saw above at the start of the jump over. King being cowardly like any pride/pack animal heads to his bitch, sorry friend Prince, because now that his seat was blocked, he has no choice but to continue, and he wan't to make sure Prince know's that and has his back. Remember the "look" that come's just before the attack that Steve Robinson and I mentioned in the earlier clip involving the lion at the Mirage. That's the message or the "tell" that great poker players and animals look for, is it bluff or is it real. It is the unspoken warning that an animal sense's, that gives him a true bond, not a phony human supposed bond with another animal. It is how they "read" each other's and our minds.

Watch at exactly a half second after .14 and before.15 when King gives the "look" or the "tell" to Prince that say's "I am going in, cover me." In that same half second, Prince checking out the upset seat, without even looking or hearing "senses" King's command and silently returns, "Go, I got your back." Watch how fast that supposedly friendly flop around on the floor woogy, woogy tiger goes off the reservation and follows his true Master/General/Trainer into the coup battle. Now, basement number 5 is knocked off his seat and proceeds to "prowl" around with Prince and King, but he stay's out of anything. It is all about self preservation for a basement animal. He will join who ever it look's like is winning, good guys or bad guys, that is not important to the basement animal, and at this point knowbody knows who will come out on top. Now Pinko get's behind the assistant, hoping it will be harder for King to go through him to get to Pinko. Watch as King jumps over Prince(something the humans taught him to do. Recall I said last year, "sometimes the thing you taught them, they will turn it and use it against you.) at .40 and surprises the assistant with a rear flank attack. Brilliant maneuver, worthy of a General Eisenhower or a PM Churchill. Now the wall(the assistant) has been breached and King and Prince go after Pinko again. For Joey Frisco, even the Costa Nostra knew you don't defeat the dog by cutting off it's tail(the assistant). Even though brother Bobby was causing them the grief, they sensed he followed President Kennedy's(Pinko's) orders. That is why they killed the dog by cutting off the head, instead of the tail. That same sense, developed through training and observation is why they are focused on Pinko and no one else. Meanwhile Omega Joker is happy sitting up high out of danger, looking around at anything and everything, except the other lions and what is going on below. At approximatly 1.08 Pinko leaves the cage, and I gotta be honest, I have never seen that before. King and Prince continue to track him outside the cage and arn't even concerned with what the tail(wife and assistant) are doing. I don't know what happens at the end, but I would think, as Pinko has left the cage, he would run down to the end of the cage string and "lure" focused King and Prince out and securing them, so that wife and assistant could get the other ones out. Now you know why I thought it odd that it was reported that "the" lion and "a" artist had been removed to a zoo. I saw immediatly that it was a normal pride "tag team" match, the instigator no more guilty then the follower. I hope they aren't assuming that all will be well without King? Because rest assured when the King is gone, the Prince will rise to take his vacated throne. I have never removed an animal because of an attack, but I do know folks who have, and I won't pass judgement on that option. But I will bet you dollars to donut's that this war will rage on another day. At the moment, it is just a truce.