by Timmy Duncan

Created on: August 20, 2010

It has been said that the only thing that is predictable about a tiger is that it is unpredictable. And really, this is true of any cat – even the household cat that snuggles up on your lap to watch television each night. Most cat owners will tell you that cats can turn at any moment for seemingly no reason at all. But while the average household cat is 10 pounds, a grown tiger can be upwards of 600 pounds and all muscle. The dangers in living with such an animal should be evident, but sadly, for many people, they are not.

It is easy to see what big cat enthusiasts find fascinating about the tiger. They are extraordinarily beautiful animals with remarkable intelligence. Their physical strength and athleticism is astounding and truthfully, many people are probably drawn to the danger involved with owning a tiger as well.

Those who have chosen to share their lives with big cats take their own lives in their hands by doing so. HBO recently produced a documentary entitled “Cat Dancers” that recounts the lives of Ron and Joy Holliday and their partner Chuck Lizza. The trio produced an act similar to the one performed by Siegfried and Roy where tigers perform tricks like jumping through hoops of fire to the amazement of a live audience. But there is danger involved in trusting an animal like this as both the Hollidays and Siegfried and Roy have learned the hard way.

Joy Holliday and partner Chuck Lizza were both killed within weeks of each other by the same white tiger named Jupiter. The first attack on Lizza was believed to be a freak accident. The animal was startled when Lizza tripped backwards and lunged, killing him instantly. Several weeks later, the same animal attacked a grieving Joy Holliday completely unprovoked. At that time, Roy Holliday granted the authorities permission to put the animal down.

Despite having raised the tiger from the time it was only an infant, the wild animal instincts were still there. Making the mistake of trusting the animal enough to turn her back on him for an instant was enough to cost Joy Holliday her life. Similarly, Roy of Siegfried and Roy fame was attacked by an animal that was routinely used in the act. For whatever reason, the animal was not in the mood on that day and it lashed out, nearly costing the illusionist his life.

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