In the circus, when lions and fierce tigers perform on stage, the animal trainer not only carries weapons on his body but also wields a whip in his hand.
It’s odd! Since the trainer has weapons for self-defense, why does he also need to carry a whip?
The reason is that animals pay much more attention to a wielded whip than to the short weapons. This means animals have a special tendency to notice moving objects. For instance, dogs quickly notice flying birds or running animals. Wild animals perceive human clothing as part of the body, and they similarly consider items like sticks and whips held by humans as extensions of their bodies. Therefore, whether it’s a dog or a fierce wild animal, when they unleash their wild instincts and pounce towards humans, they first target the parts of the human body that are capable of movement—such as hands or the whip held in hand. The trainer exploits this behavior of animals, focusing their attention by wielding a stick or whip to make them perform desired actions. Even in the event of an emergency where these fierce wild animals might pounce on him, the trainer uses this instinct to target the parts capable of movement. Hence, the whip and similar tools are used by the trainer to protect his physical integrity.