From Richard Reynolds

Several postings back we saw little Shannon sitting astride Rex Williams' young male white rhino. His name was Thor. Years ago I got detailed info about him from the late Bill Johnston and late Roman Schmitt, like so - - Thor was born at Wild Animal Safari, Kings Mill, OH in late 1973. Williams acquired him in October 1974 through dealer Frank Thompson. Thor was trained by Rex and Bill Johnston at Lion County Safari, FL during winter of 1974-75 in act routine with a horse. The act debuted with a Shrine Circus in Miami in the spring of 1975 and was presented through that summer at other locations. Circus producers did not show much interest in the act. [Roman Schmitt had the same experience with his trained black rhino. ] Hence Williams sold the rhino to Mexican circus owner Raoul Suarez, delivering him at Laredo , TX in October 1975. Thor died in Mexico in 1976 from injuries inflicted by an African elephant When Hoxie Bros Circus was here in Atlanta at North DeKalb Shopping Center on October 12, 1976, Tucker told me that Rex Williams had offered to sell him the rhino for $7,000, seemingly in late 1975. Tucker said that he declined because he was afraid that he could not get the rhino to load into the trailer when it came time to move the show.