Am I the only one to notice this bear is UN-muzzled? Here is one reason I have always taken my hat off to Mr. Rix, and another reason I have never worked bears.
It was always enjoyable in mornings on the"indoor dates" when all was quiet in the building and I would chat with Albert. He told me that in the early years of WW2 he was in the German cavalry [yes horses] galloping across Poland and how it was. Later he was a POW. He never was proud of the fact but only what he was made to do.But very fascinating. Also about Hagenback, etc. Albert always had the persona in the ring of a didnified European military off icer in his boots, etc. A very accomplished man and certainly the only person I ever knew who was in the Horse cavalry.johnny
Albert once told me that having studied the diets and eating habits of bears while at the Hagenbeck Zoo he survived as a Russian POW by knowing what bugs and insects they found nutritious. In fact he was sometimes accused of collaborating with the Prison guards. He added that on his return home he discovered many of the people who had championed the war were still in power and despite the pleas from his relatives to enter the Family Business (Furniture Co.?) he opted for taking the Hagenbeck bear act to the Ringling show and the rest is History.
7 comments:
Am I the only one to notice this bear is UN-muzzled? Here is one reason I have always taken my hat off to Mr. Rix, and another reason I have never worked bears.
& truly 1 of the kindest gentleman
in the industry
Roger, I am sure you must be aware that cage bear acts never wear muzzles. johnny
Albert was a fine fellow and great bear trainer from Hagenback and also a good friend for many years.johnny
It was always enjoyable in mornings on the"indoor dates" when all was quiet in the building and I would chat with Albert. He told me that in the early years of WW2 he was in the German cavalry [yes horses] galloping across Poland and how it was. Later he was a POW. He never was proud of the fact but only what he was made to do.But very fascinating. Also about Hagenback, etc. Albert always had the persona in the ring of a didnified European military off icer in his boots, etc. A very accomplished man and certainly the only person I ever knew who was in the Horse cavalry.johnny
Albert once told me that having studied the diets and eating habits of bears while at the Hagenbeck Zoo he survived as a Russian POW by knowing what bugs and insects they found nutritious.
In fact he was sometimes accused of collaborating with the Prison guards.
He added that on his return home he discovered many of the people who had championed the war were still in power and despite the pleas from his relatives to enter the Family Business (Furniture Co.?) he opted for taking the Hagenbeck bear act to the Ringling show and the rest is History.
I had not seen an arena. If those shadows atop the barrel are bars of an arena, they are far in the dark, and the cage is otherwise obscured.
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