Many families have the satisfaction
of helping to raise a dog or cat, but can you imagine what a thrill it
must be to help raise a baby tiger?
In the summer
of 1998 the circus acquired a new baby tiger to replace the original tiger,
Cheyenne, used in the circus illusion act. Cheyenne had been purchased
from Nassau's Paradise Island Casino, along with many of their illusion
props, when they changed the show. He had also been bought as a kitten
and trained for the illusion act but was now about 14 years old and was
due for retirement.
Jumanji
is a Bengal tiger, named for the Robin Williams movie, and was born in
the United States at a tiger breeding farm in the Palm Beach area of Florida.
He joined the circus at about 3 months old.
From the beginning he received a great deal of love and attention from
all the performers in the show and was displayed in the ring before the
show - getting him used to all the lights and noise and hundreds of people
who flocked around the ring curb to see the adorable baby cat. By the time
he was about 6 months old he made his debut in the illusion act, allowing
Cheyenne to retire quietly. At first, after he made his magical appearance,
he would be given his bottle in the ring, the audience fascinated to watch
this beautiful young animal enjoying a treat. Later, as he grew in size
(and tigers grow fast), this became impossible so now he jumps down from
the "tiger box" and is led to his holding cage by Tino Cristiani. It's
a shame that people can't watch him take his
bottle any more as this became a highlight of the act, but babies don't  remain
babies forever. He now weighs about 350 lbs and is almost as big as his
predecessor. However, he still remains a kitten to us all and loves to
play and get the attention from his human friends - just like any other
house cat, only much much bigger.
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The Hannefords are licensed by
the State of Florida to own and display animals such as tigers and elephants,
and abide by all laws, rules, and regulations governing their upkeep and
handling. All the animals are regularly inspected by both registered vetinarians
and state officials.
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