Hundreds filled the bleachers and lined a caged ring on the first day of the fair to see the talents of some rare visitors.

Wednesday, August 01, 2001

Hundreds filled the bleachers and lined a caged ring on the first day of the fair to see the talents of some rare visitors.

The Adriatic Animal Attractions bengal tiger show put a handful of playful cats in the spotlight, and trainers stressed that this is no mere sideshow.

&uot;If you want to see a show about fire hoops, guns or fighting tigers, you’ve come to the wrong place,&uot; trainer Khris Allen told the crowd before the performance.

Rather, the show works to educate people about the endangered tigers. The show is one about relationships between humans and animals, the trainers said. The tigers are not declawed and have all their teeth,but trainers are safe because the tigers trust them.

&uot;We spend a lot of time building relationships with these tigers,&uot; a trainer said.

The tigers followed Allen’s instructions to roll over, play leap frog, jump and lie down. Their reward: A hunk of raw beef from Allen’s pouch.

The shows are at 2, 5 and 8 p.m. daily at the fair.