Lion taming

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19th century etching of a lion tamer

Lion taming is the practice of taming lions, either for protection, whereby the practice was probably created, or, more commonly in the West, entertainment, particularly in the circus. The term is also often used for the taming and display of other big cats such as tigers, leopards and cougars. Lion taming is used as a stereotypical "dangerous occupation" due to the obvious risks of toying with powerful instinctive carnivores.

Lion taming is performed in zoos across the world, to enable less dangerous feeding and to bring more profit by holding programmes like cub petting.

Note that "taming" an individual lion is not the same as domestication of a species.

[edit] Lion Tamers

Gunther Gebel-Williams (1934-2001) was a world-famous animal trainer for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Thomas Beckerson was an English botanist who studied in Africa but was fascinated by the lions out there and brought back his lion taming skills to victorian London.
Clyde Beatty (1903-1965) was possibly the first lion taimer to use a chair in his act.