In the circus, we often see ferocious tigers and black bears tamely performing various spectacular acts on stage. They might even nod or salute when the audience applauds. Do you think they are naturally this tame and unafraid of humans? Not at all.
It is said that long ago, when exploration teams first entered the primeval forest, the various wild animals living there had never seen humans and didn’t know to fear them. It wasn’t until people used hunting rifles or various hunting tools to capture them that the animals gradually began to fear humans, fleeing upon hearing footsteps or gunshots.
The fierce animals in the circus are often captured by hunters when they are very young and then sent to the circus to be raised in cages. This way, they are completely removed from their original living environment from a young age, and their living habits change accordingly. In the forest, wild animals have to forage for food themselves and constantly guard against various enemies. But in the circus, their lives depend entirely on humans, primarily the animal trainers who feed them daily, play with them, and train them to perform various acts. Over time, they no longer fear humans. In fact, when people feed them, they even show affection and friendliness.
Of course, taming wild animals is not simple. An animal trainer who does not understand the habits and personalities of the wild animals they need to tame cannot make these ferocious beasts obey their commands and might even be harmed by them. Additionally, an animal trainer must have great patience, not only to tame the animals to listen to them but also to teach them various performance skills. Therefore, training a ferocious beast to become a “performer” is no easy task.