Friday, November 23, 2018

CAT FOLK


Posted by Chic Silber at 11/23/2018 09:08:00 AM

4 comments:

Jim Alexander said...

Jules Jacot at the St. Louis Zoo on his second tour in the 1960s. The lion was Solomon, better known as Pee Wee.

23 November, 2018 15:46
Roger Smith said...

This is animal training that few accomplished. So I'm to be forgiven if it would not be among my favorites. Nor did I care for the wedding tux and dress with which Joe Arcaris adorned his male and female lions at Benson's. I honor their training ability, but personally did not like seeing big cats relegated to what in my view was next to ridicule.

In the same line of thought, I never liked the unseemly creations John Ringling North either had designed or gave approval to, for his elephants.

23 November, 2018 20:57
Jim Alexander said...

Roger, even as a Jules Jacot fan and friend, I agree. Jules began working with big cats in 1911 so not surprising that he had a few "old fashion" tricks in his show, even over 50 years later. The "King of Beasts" routine with a lion sitting up, wearing a cape and crown still went over in the 60s. It was historically interesting but my favorites were some of the "quieter" behaviors. For example, a male named Pan would be let into the arena with no trainer, walk over, open the door and enter the safety cage on the right-side. Jules and asst. would then enter the empty cage and set the props for the next group. When they left Pan would come out of the safety cage, walk across the arena "checking the props", open the door to the left safety cage, enter and lay down until it was his turn the enter the act.


I have a cane Jules used but if I had the crown and spectacles they'd be in a glass case in my living room.

24 November, 2018 08:01
Paul Gutheil said...

Thank you for these wonderful and educational comments. I would have loved to have seen what Jim described here. Thanks again.

25 November, 2018 11:37

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