|
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Contributors
Recent Comments
Retirement Fund
Favorite Links
- Circus Historical Society
- Circus News
- Circus Fans Association of America
- Showfolks of Sarasota
- Arkansas Elephant Sanctuary
- Jim's "All My Days are Circus Days"
- Pat Cashin's Clown Alley
- Bill Strong's Yesterday's Towns
- Circus Links
- Circus Model Builders
- Magic Gallery
- Tim Perkins Blog
- Trumble's Carson & Barnes Blog
- Dick Dykes
- Wade G Burck
- Chuck Mayo
- The Circus Blog
- Jackie LeClaire
Subscribe
Blog Archive
- March 2023 (15)
- February 2022 (5)
- November 2021 (33)
- October 2021 (3)
- September 2021 (61)
- August 2021 (37)
- May 2021 (39)
- April 2021 (10)
- March 2021 (17)
- February 2021 (103)
- January 2021 (137)
- December 2020 (21)
- November 2020 (76)
- October 2020 (151)
- September 2020 (73)
- August 2020 (65)
- July 2020 (181)
- June 2020 (174)
- May 2020 (225)
- April 2020 (181)
- March 2020 (124)
- February 2020 (221)
- December 2019 (36)
- November 2019 (77)
- October 2019 (166)
- September 2019 (146)
- August 2019 (62)
- July 2019 (250)
- June 2019 (238)
- May 2019 (311)
- April 2019 (355)
- March 2019 (367)
- February 2019 (313)
- January 2019 (373)
- December 2018 (377)
- November 2018 (348)
- October 2018 (378)
- September 2018 (381)
- August 2018 (542)
- July 2018 (514)
- June 2018 (153)
- May 2018 (4)
- April 2018 (3)
- March 2018 (110)
- February 2018 (296)
- January 2018 (590)
- December 2017 (569)
- November 2017 (587)
- October 2017 (565)
- September 2017 (405)
- August 2017 (509)
- July 2017 (575)
- June 2017 (558)
- May 2017 (653)
- April 2017 (562)
- March 2017 (507)
- February 2017 (451)
- January 2017 (516)
- December 2016 (367)
- November 2016 (479)
- October 2016 (449)
- September 2016 (517)
- August 2016 (427)
- July 2016 (400)
- June 2016 (360)
- May 2016 (272)
- April 2016 (374)
- March 2016 (481)
- February 2016 (405)
- January 2016 (429)
- December 2015 (240)
- November 2015 (381)
- October 2015 (477)
- September 2015 (461)
- August 2015 (427)
- July 2015 (463)
- June 2015 (421)
- May 2015 (350)
- April 2015 (416)
- March 2015 (467)
- February 2015 (441)
- January 2015 (460)
- December 2014 (408)
- November 2014 (379)
- October 2014 (416)
- September 2014 (378)
- August 2014 (413)
- July 2014 (414)
- June 2014 (482)
- May 2014 (429)
- April 2014 (367)
- March 2014 (458)
- February 2014 (406)
- January 2014 (390)
- December 2013 (508)
- November 2013 (353)
- October 2013 (423)
- September 2013 (468)
- August 2013 (536)
- July 2013 (490)
- June 2013 (447)
- May 2013 (411)
- April 2013 (401)
- March 2013 (407)
- February 2013 (372)
- January 2013 (432)
- December 2012 (413)
- November 2012 (388)
- October 2012 (398)
- September 2012 (376)
- August 2012 (387)
- July 2012 (382)
- June 2012 (351)
- May 2012 (356)
- April 2012 (367)
- March 2012 (351)
- February 2012 (336)
- January 2012 (410)
- December 2011 (393)
- November 2011 (283)
- October 2011 (333)
- September 2011 (363)
- August 2011 (356)
- July 2011 (336)
- June 2011 (363)
- May 2011 (351)
- April 2011 (324)
- March 2011 (327)
- February 2011 (253)
- January 2011 (368)
- December 2010 (359)
- November 2010 (315)
- October 2010 (342)
- September 2010 (345)
- August 2010 (352)
- July 2010 (344)
- June 2010 (335)
- May 2010 (338)
- April 2010 (321)
- March 2010 (369)
- February 2010 (318)
- January 2010 (338)
- December 2009 (358)
- November 2009 (338)
- October 2009 (354)
- September 2009 (368)
- August 2009 (354)
- July 2009 (401)
- June 2009 (403)
- May 2009 (375)
- April 2009 (346)
- March 2009 (406)
- February 2009 (341)
- January 2009 (353)
- December 2008 (351)
- November 2008 (362)
- October 2008 (391)
- September 2008 (375)
- August 2008 (382)
- July 2008 (324)
- June 2008 (349)
- May 2008 (375)
- April 2008 (383)
- March 2008 (369)
- February 2008 (426)
- January 2008 (457)
- December 2007 (360)
- November 2007 (369)
- October 2007 (359)
- September 2007 (361)
- August 2007 (370)
- July 2007 (341)
- June 2007 (307)
- May 2007 (298)
- April 2007 (391)
- March 2007 (374)
- February 2007 (326)
- January 2007 (385)
- December 2006 (343)
- November 2006 (252)
- October 2006 (213)
- September 2006 (174)
- August 2006 (180)
- July 2006 (176)
- June 2006 (155)
- May 2006 (178)
- April 2006 (170)
- March 2006 (149)
- February 2006 (134)
- January 2006 (154)
- December 2005 (135)
- November 2005 (137)
- October 2005 (113)
- September 2005 (100)
- August 2005 (102)
- July 2005 (103)
- June 2005 (43)
9 comments:
I believe the leopard is leaping over two jaguars sitting up. Jim, am I right on this. This was a beautiful act featuring a snow leopard.
The two jaguars were Negus and Jade, and the leopard jumping over them was Sita. The two other leopards, Sonia and Ingwa, also did this trick. This photo was taken at Knie when the act consisted of 5 spotted leopards, 4 black leopards, 2 jaguars and 1 snow leopard. The season before, the act also contained 2 pumas, but Knie did not want them. I also had a black jaguar in the act for a short period, but I have commented about this previously. The act varied in number over the years. It was never less than 12 animals, but up to 17 at one time. The two jaguars were always in the act from the beginning to the end and were really fantastic animals. The snow leapard I trained when she was four years old as she was mother raised. If I had had her younger I am sure we could have carried her like the leopards. Snow leopards are naturally placid animals. I also had another one, but he was never in the act.
Richard Reynolds asks Jim Clubb - -
Can you give that info about the black jaguars again. I meant to copy it to my file when it was on earlier but failed to do so and it is now gone from the blog.
I think it was Alfred Court or maybe his nephew Willie Storey who said that jaguars were stubborn and hard to work. Also I've heard they are inclined to attack the other animals in the arena. You indicate a contrary experience.
The only black jaguars I've ever seen in the ring were the two Court had.
On June 5, 1967 Damoo Dhotre wrote me about the Court black jaguars as follows.
NEGUS - - Male black jaguar jungle born, imported from Ecuador, S.A. - -1936
DJOGO - - Female black jaguar born in captivity at Hanover, Germany (Mother was spotted, Father was black)
When Court was first with RBBB he used only one of the black jaguars at a time, the other kept in reserve. Later when the act was on the show in 1945, '47, '48, '49 I think both black jaguars were in it. Of course around 1945 Court sold all his animals to RBBB.
RBBB cut out Damoo's act after the 1949 season. I alwys thought he presented it with great aplomb style and grace.
After RBBB, I think DAmoo took the leopard act to France (perhaps Amar?) I do not know what happened to it after that.
I was only a yougster when I saw the Court leopard act and did not realize that I was seeing both black jaguars as well as black leopards. I knew only about the leopards. Later I could readily see the difference in photos.
As a 6-8 year old I just knew Court had to be the best trainer in the world because he could work black leopards (The word was out tht they were almost untrainable) Terrell Jacobs had been a big flop with the black leopard act he tried to break in 1938. I can recall as though it were yesterday seeing that impressive Jacobs black leopard poster in Atlanta in advance of the 1938 show. But it was not to be seen. My father always referred to him dismissively as the guy who could not train the black leopards.
Black animal of any kind are very hard to photograph. They do not show up as well as colored animals. The reason you see so many Golden and White Labador Retreivers is they look beautiful in pictures and on film. The use of black dogs in film is they look spookie coming out of the dark. It gives them 'the black' a bad rap. Black dogs are the hardest to adopt out. I have in 20 years found that to be the very worst idea. Mine are the most wonderful, loving, smartest pets you would ever want in your home. My black retreivers out shine the golden ones in every way. They just do not show up good in the pet finders paper.
Richard Reynolds (and anyone else interested),
The two black jaguars I had were captive-bred at a small zoo in the UK that specialized in keeping South American animals - Kilverston Zoo. The male was hand-reared and very tame, preferring human company to other big cats. I included him in the act in rehearsal only. He sat between the two spotted jaguars in the opening pyramid and walked along the bottles. The problem we had was with him attacking the other animals, particularly the pumas. For this reason, we omitted him when the act went out on the road. With people he was fantastic. I could even do a shoulder stand with him. Incidentally he was the size of a small tiger, almost twice as big as the spotted jaguars. The female jaguar was very dangerous and though I trained her she was unsuitable to hand over to a presenter. Eventually they both went to Chessington Zoo and the male paired up with another two female spotted jaguars that I also sent there. They produced many litters of spotted and black cubs. Incidentally, the female's mother originated from Hanover Zoo.
Court definitely included both jaguars in the panther act later on, as I have pictures of them. Like you, I thought they were black leopards originally. The act was eventually sold to Circus Amar in France. There is a whole book devoted to the transaction, which is just being published. I will send you the details.
I generally found jaguars to be the hardest of all the big cats to train and incredibly stupid with the strength of Hercules. Wo betide the man who gets between the jaws of a jaguar (I did!) They seem to forget how to let go, rather like a bull dog. But once trained they were the most reliable animals I had in the act. The English trainer, Bailey Fossett, who corresponded with Court, trained a small group of panthers, pumas, leopards, jaguars and two snow leopards, also said the same. He followed my act closely and had a particular interest in the snow leopards. I have loads more information, but I am sure you are bored by now.
PS Though I never knew Terrell Jacobs I can understand the problems with wild caught black leopards. Captive-bred ones are hard enough and it takes a special mentality to train them. The Javanese (small ones) are the most dangerous. They are far more dangerous than spotted panthers and also short-sighted.
I will be the first to admit my lack of experience with training wild cats for the arena. Not knowing anything about the animals before I actually presented them, my favorite and to me the best of the lot was the black leopard "SATAN". He did not do much but what he did was with style and grace. Never caused me any grief. Even when he got loose, someone forgot to close the door, he jumped right back in on my command. GET TO YOUR HOUSE SATAN. To this day when I want my animals to go to their den I still say GO TO YOUR ROOM. Works like a charm. When I say GET YOUR ASS TO YOUR ROOM they know I mean it and run like hell. Works even better.
Jim, thanks for all the great info. I could never get bored with your vast knowledge. Court is also my favorite trainer as leopards are my favorite cats to work with. Like you said, it takes a special person to have great success with leopards and I think all the smaller cats as well. I've had the great advantage to have raised 72 leopards born at my facility and work with well over 100. Learn something new from everyone of them. Looking forward to the book on the Court leopard act worked by Dahotre.
I don't have my books with me, but I have a vague recollection of a photo of Mabel Stark with a black jaguar she named... a derogatory term for an African American. In my mind, Mabel is on the left, the black jaguar on the right. I didn't see her named mentioned here.
Witch tricks were in this act ?
Post a Comment