Identifier: cu31924029937632 (find matches)
Title: The training of wild animals
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Bostock, Frank Charles, 1866-1912 Velvin, Ellen
Subjects: Animal training
Publisher: New York : Century
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ig. This snake lay in a state of reple-tion after this for weeks, and from various in-dications that we had I dont fancy that hiscannibalism agreed with him. But a more curious incident than either o£these occurred at the Pan-American Exhibi-tion with Great Peter, the largest python everkept in captivity. Great Peter had been fast-ing for some time,—most of the summer, infact,—and we were beginning to feel anxiousabout him, when, toward the end of Septem-ber, he suddenly became very lively—alwaysa sure sign of hunger. Much delighted at these signs, his keeper atonce looked for suitable food for him, and pro-cured a young razor-back pig. As a generalrule, all animals when put in with snakes arerendered helpless by fear. They appear to beparalyzed by a strange fascination, and in-stead of making the slightest resistance orattempt to get away, stay on the very spot.where they are thrown until the snake killsthem with a bite or thrusts them into theirliving tomb by swallowing them.
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jr. JOHNSON AND HIS TRAINED ELEPHANT SNAKES AND ELEPHANTS 71 But this little razorback was made of dif-ferent stuff, and was neither fascinated norhelpless from fear. The moment he enteredthe cage it was evident that he meant to havea good fight for it, no matter what happened.He gave the python no time to spring, but,taking time by the forelock, ran up to the hugesnake, screaming shrilly at the top of hisvoice, and fastened his sturdy tusks firmly inthe back of the snakes neck. He squealed no more after this, but attendedstrictly to business, and hung on like grimdeath. There was a momentary pause, andthen the daring little pig shook his enemy vig-orously as he would a rat. For a second ortwo over thirty-two feet of python coiled andlashed about the cage in a furious manner, butthe pig hung on. His triumph was not long. The contestwas too unequal. Suddenly the thick coils leftthe air, and, descending on the plucky littleanimal, coiled round and round, crushing his •body and crackin

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