Big Cat Issues
Blood at the Houston circus: Tiger trainer insists on finishing act despite getting clawed
Blood and a tiger in an arena full of people is a potentially dangerous situation.
Which is why Alexander Lacey, tiger trainer for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, is still getting praise for the way he handled his bloody, scary night at the Houston circus last week.
When Lacey cut his hand in the middle of the Double Standing Tiger Walk he refused medical attention until he was finished performing the act. Even though reports indicate there was a lot of blood. Lacey's blood.
Paramedics examined him at the scene when he was done walking the tiger. It turns out the trainer's hand was gashed open when it got caught on the tiger's paw.
It's probably no surprise that Lacey stayed so calm and insisted that the show must go on. He comes from a family that's raised more than nine generations of tigers — and 11 generations of lions. His father was a zoo and circus director and his mother traveled the world, doing a tiger and leopard show.
The Ringling Bros. circus' Reliant stop runs through July 28 and Lacey is still scheduled to perform.
Watch KHOU's full report below:
