Barbara and "Nirvana"

Barbara had several leopards over the years. This was the best of them "Nirvana", this picture taken in 1974 shortly after the Ringling Park's opening. The winter of 1977-78 we were in rehearsal in Venice prior to taking our elephant herd on the Blue Show. I was holding a string of spec elephants near the back door one day chatting with Gunther when Barbara came by with a new young leopard and handed me the leash saying "Hold this I forgot something" she was barely out of sight when something frightened the cat and she took off wrapping the leash around my leg several times. So here am I doing the Mexican Hat Dance, trying to get untangled and with Gunther trying to keep a straight face, the dirty little bitch bit me on the leg. After Barbara had returned and as I went limping off with the elephants into the arena, thoroughly humiliated, he casually mentioned, "You ought to get a shot for that".