Animal trainers

[Pckts]

"No Bars Between" By Alex Kerr

*This image is copyright of its original author

Pictured is Khan (2.5 year old tiger at the time and Suleiman a 3.5 year old wild lion from S. Africa)

I haven't finished the book but I have read most of it and these are the notes as follows
-Alex Kerr started with all male lions and continued to add them as the years passed
-He later bough 3 young tigers, 2 females and a mlae, Khan
-Lions are hardier in captivity, the breed much easier and are less suseptable to stomach viruses than tigers.
He was unable to breed Khan with either tigress' over the years
-Atlas another wild male lion, was the most aggressive when the tigress would come into heat and would even try to fight Khan through the bars (khan was the king, he was the most dangerous of all the cats.
-Atlas may have been the most aggressive of the lions when it came to mating but he wasn't the boss. That honor belonged to Negus early on then it belonged to Bebe during later years.
-Bebe was a sissy cat, he didn't know how to fight and was very skittish of all other lions. Once Kerr tried to introduce bebe to prince (a bully lion) and prince quickly attacked him and his other brother jumped in so they must be separeted.
What kerr noticed about lions is this, the boss lion dictates who is allowed to attack and who gets attacked. If one lion over steps his boundaries and attacks, the boss lion will attack the aggressor. Kerr used this to his advantage, he separated Negus with Bebe and since bebe was so submissive to Negus, they quickly became friends. Finally Kerr tried to introduce them together again and as soon as Prince attacked Bebe, Negus was on him in a flash and showed Negus to be the coward most bullies are. After that, bebe started to build confidence and was even taught to fight by Kerr, he later became the boss lion of the wild lions that were introduced later.
-Tigers can jump easily and do so often, lions do not, a trainer must choose wisely on which lion can be used since it's not as natural a movement for them.
-Lions roar "the same as a bird sings" for no apparent reason, tigers make far more sounds and have a wider variety.
-A tigers attacking snarl is terrifying and loud! It sounds as though a "chainsaw is cutting through wood"
-A tiger is a better fighter than a lion and the most dangerous of them.
-Atlas and Khan needed to be across from each other since they both had a natural aggression towards one another.
-Leopards are brave and impossible to read, they can cover 11' in a instance and other than a bent ear or a slight snarl, you wouldn't get much warning.
They don't care about size, they are game. They'll fight any and all comers.
-Bears are extremely dangerous and very tough to read. Their characteristics are all very different.
He had a sloth bear that was extremely dangerous and ill tempered and a himalayan brown bear that was so loving and sweet but she was ready to fight at a moments notice.
He had 2 polar bears but had to get rid of them since they got to large.
-Kerr was friends with hans brick, really respected him.
-Kerr thought beatty was cruel but understood his act and adopted the idea of "to each their own"
-People were boycotting circuses even in the 50s and he speaks on it.

very good read, he loved his cats, especially lions, he treated them with respect.
Ill continue reading it and let you know what other tidbits i find. Reply