In the 21st century, you can hardly find a circus with animals anywhere else. It is considered to be the inhumane and cruel treatment of animals. Therefore, the majority of countries have started banning performances with wild and exotic animals. But things were different back in the day. The line between the circus and the menagerie was blurred. It was all due to the legend of circus art, Issac Van Amburgh. He was a famous American animal trainer and legendary artist of the 19th century. It was thanks to him that trained wild animals began to act in circus art around the world. He transferred all the actions that had happened in the jungle to the circus stage. Learn more at i-new-york.com.
An unusual childhood
The future animal trainer was born in New York in 1808. His childhood was very atypical and Amburgh himself was quite a peculiar kid. He stood out from the other children. While his peers played various games and toys, he spent all his free time with cockroaches and mice. He fed animals with his leftovers to tame and train them in the future. From a young age, Amburgh developed a deep love and respect for animals and insects. He spent most of his childhood studying and observing the behavior of wild animals in their habitat. Through his observations and great knowledge in this field, he quickly gained a reputation as an animal behavior expert.
When Amburgh grew up, he continued to train animals. In particular, he became an employee at the Zoological Institute of New York.
Curious and slightly mystical stories from the life of an animal tamer Amburgh
Amburgh was a descendant of a Native American Indians. Perhaps this was the reason for his incredible ability to understand and connect with animals.
Also, according to one of the legends, the day before he was born, Amburgh’s mother had a very strange dream about lions. Later, it turned out to be prophetic. After all, when Amburgh got older, he became not just an animal trainer, but also a real lion tamer.
No less interesting is the story by which Amburgh decided to become a lion tamer. In particular, at a young age, Amburgh read the Bible, where he came upon the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. Since that time, he had a burning desire to become a lion tamer.
Circus career
Van Amburgh began his career as a cleaner of animal cages. While he cleaned the cages of wild and exotic animals, he trained them. Soon his activities were noticed and highly appreciated. Thus, Amburgh was transferred from the cleaner to the trainer position. He tamed wild animals, which the Zoological Institute of New York brought from South America. Thanks to his gift, Amburgh quickly earned a reputation as a fearless and skilled animal trainer. True legends began to circulate about his shows with animals.
He performed with such wild and dangerous animals as:
- lions
- leopards
- tigers
- panthers and others.
His performances were striking, truly brave and fearless. No one had done that before him or even repeated it. In the 19th century, Amburgh was one of a kind. For example, he put his bare and bloody arm straight into the lion’s mouth.
For a very long time, he performed with his circus troupe and a menagerie in the United States. Amburgh became one of the most popular and successful figures in circus art. He became famous for his daring exploits in animal training and his ability to handle some of the most dangerous wild animals in the world.
The triumph in his career as a wild animal tamer was so great that in the 1940s he and his troupe acted in England before Her Majesty Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Success and criticism
Amburgh’s shows could be described as a combination of boldness and spectacle. He often entered the arena with lions, tigers and other fierce animals. He attracted their attention with his dominant presence and skillful treatment. He regularly performed challenging stunts, such as placing his head inside the lion’s mouth or jumping through a ring of fire while riding an elephant.
However, Amburgh’s performances in the 19th century faced some criticism. Most animal activists criticized his activities and said it was cruel and inhumane treatment of animals.
In addition, many of his followers, animal tamers, who tried to repeat the trick with their heads inside the lion’s mouth, were bitten off during the performance.