The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
- cronus
- Black Market Analyst
- Posts: 18122
- Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:09 pm
- About me: Illis quos amo deserviam
- Location: United Kingdom
- Contact:
The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-li ... e-24387281
The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
Following the birth of the first tiger at London Zoo in 17 years, a former circus owner talks about his life breeding tigers in rural Lincolnshire.
At the height of his career in the 1970s, Martin Lacey was known as the "man that fear forgot" - being the only one to put his head inside a lion's mouth.
That was just part of his work to run the now-closed Great British Circus, which has also included breeding more than 120 tigers at his home in Keal Cotes.
Now aged in his 70s, Mr Lacey plans to retire, with most of the tigers will now go to his sons' circus in Germany.
His work has included starring in the children's TV show Magpie and training some of the tigers used in the Esso adverts.
He said he had enjoyed a fantastic career and "had certainly done his bit" to help with tiger conservation.
"This year we've had 12 cubs in Lincolnshire and 12 in Germany," he said.
"Most will go to my sons' circus, but we are able to let any surplus go to zoological gardens, which reduces the need to bring in any animals from the wild.
"We are definitely doing well in the conservation stakes - we also bred reindeer here this year, and that's not easy."
However, changes in public attitudes to performing animals mean he has faced criticism in recent years.
The UK government has announced that a ban prohibiting the use of wild animals in circuses in Britain would come into effect in 2015.
Under the terms of the draft Wild Animals in Circuses Bill, the ban will cover any creature not normally domesticated in Britain.
The RSPCA said public opinion has been against the practice for some time because "lions and tigers performing do not have a place in today's society."
However, Mr Lacey says his tigers enjoy the highest standards of care and described the animal's time in the circus ring as "organised play".
"They run and jump - just as they would in the wild," he said.
"I believe there is a mass of support for animals in entertainment and people should have the freedom of choice - you can only watch so many jugglers before it gets a bit boring.
"We are breeding them specifically for work and are looking for intelligent animals.
"Just as some strains of Alsatian look fantastic but are a little bit thick - our animals have to be intelligent and look good as well."
(continued)
The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
Following the birth of the first tiger at London Zoo in 17 years, a former circus owner talks about his life breeding tigers in rural Lincolnshire.
At the height of his career in the 1970s, Martin Lacey was known as the "man that fear forgot" - being the only one to put his head inside a lion's mouth.
That was just part of his work to run the now-closed Great British Circus, which has also included breeding more than 120 tigers at his home in Keal Cotes.
Now aged in his 70s, Mr Lacey plans to retire, with most of the tigers will now go to his sons' circus in Germany.
His work has included starring in the children's TV show Magpie and training some of the tigers used in the Esso adverts.
He said he had enjoyed a fantastic career and "had certainly done his bit" to help with tiger conservation.
"This year we've had 12 cubs in Lincolnshire and 12 in Germany," he said.
"Most will go to my sons' circus, but we are able to let any surplus go to zoological gardens, which reduces the need to bring in any animals from the wild.
"We are definitely doing well in the conservation stakes - we also bred reindeer here this year, and that's not easy."
However, changes in public attitudes to performing animals mean he has faced criticism in recent years.
The UK government has announced that a ban prohibiting the use of wild animals in circuses in Britain would come into effect in 2015.
Under the terms of the draft Wild Animals in Circuses Bill, the ban will cover any creature not normally domesticated in Britain.
The RSPCA said public opinion has been against the practice for some time because "lions and tigers performing do not have a place in today's society."
However, Mr Lacey says his tigers enjoy the highest standards of care and described the animal's time in the circus ring as "organised play".
"They run and jump - just as they would in the wild," he said.
"I believe there is a mass of support for animals in entertainment and people should have the freedom of choice - you can only watch so many jugglers before it gets a bit boring.
"We are breeding them specifically for work and are looking for intelligent animals.
"Just as some strains of Alsatian look fantastic but are a little bit thick - our animals have to be intelligent and look good as well."
(continued)
What will the world be like after its ruler is removed?
- tattuchu
- a dickload of cocks
- Posts: 21890
- Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 2:59 pm
- About me: I'm having trouble with the trolley.
- Location: Marmite-upon-Toast, Wankershire
- Contact:
Re: The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
He bred them himself? 

People think "queue" is just "q" followed by 4 silent letters.
But those letters are not silent.
They're just waiting their turn.
But those letters are not silent.
They're just waiting their turn.
- Hermit
- Posts: 25806
- Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 12:44 am
- About me: Cantankerous grump
- Location: Ignore lithpt
- Contact:
Re: The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
Really? Give me the offerings of Cirque du Soleil over animals jumping through hoops any day.Scrumple wrote:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-li ... e-24387281
you can only watch so many jugglers before it gets a bit boring.
I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops. - Stephen J. Gould
- cronus
- Black Market Analyst
- Posts: 18122
- Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:09 pm
- About me: Illis quos amo deserviam
- Location: United Kingdom
- Contact:
Re: The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
Depends on what the jugglers be juggling?Hermit wrote:Really? Give me the offerings of Cirque du Soleil over animals jumping through hoops any day.Scrumple wrote:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-li ... e-24387281
you can only watch so many jugglers before it gets a bit boring.

What will the world be like after its ruler is removed?
- mistermack
- Posts: 15093
- Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:57 am
- About me: Never rong.
- Contact:
Re: The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
From a point of view of conservation, one genuine Sumatran tiger is worth more than dozens of the cross-bred mongrels that most circuses breed.
And breeding for white tigers is particularly odious, you have to throw away a high percentage that are born with birth defects. And for what? Just an unusual colour. What the fuck is so special about white?
If circuses were actually breeding to conserve sub-species, and protect the gene pool, I would say that it was worthwhile.
Maybe they do now, but they never used to.
It's the same with owners of private zoos, they claim that they are helping to preserve the species, and then they go and cross Bengals with Siberians. It's pure bollocks.
Having said that, I've got nothing against circuses having performing animals. They are pretty dreary without them, unless you are entertained by elaborate costumes, which I ain't.
And breeding for white tigers is particularly odious, you have to throw away a high percentage that are born with birth defects. And for what? Just an unusual colour. What the fuck is so special about white?
If circuses were actually breeding to conserve sub-species, and protect the gene pool, I would say that it was worthwhile.
Maybe they do now, but they never used to.
It's the same with owners of private zoos, they claim that they are helping to preserve the species, and then they go and cross Bengals with Siberians. It's pure bollocks.
Having said that, I've got nothing against circuses having performing animals. They are pretty dreary without them, unless you are entertained by elaborate costumes, which I ain't.
While there is a market for shit, there will be assholes to supply it.
- cronus
- Black Market Analyst
- Posts: 18122
- Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:09 pm
- About me: Illis quos amo deserviam
- Location: United Kingdom
- Contact:
Re: The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
No one complains about breeding chickens for specific traits like muscle that way? 

What will the world be like after its ruler is removed?
- Warren Dew
- Posts: 3781
- Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 1:41 pm
- Location: Somerville, MA, USA
- Contact:
Re: The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
Preserving the species is different from preserving all the subspecies.mistermack wrote:It's the same with owners of private zoos, they claim that they are helping to preserve the species, and then they go and cross Bengals with Siberians. It's pure bollocks.
- mistermack
- Posts: 15093
- Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:57 am
- About me: Never rong.
- Contact:
Re: The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
It doesn't bother me. The original jungle fowl are still about, living wild in the forests of Asia.Scrumple wrote:No one complains about breeding chickens for specific traits like muscle that way?
While there is a market for shit, there will be assholes to supply it.
- mistermack
- Posts: 15093
- Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:57 am
- About me: Never rong.
- Contact:
Re: The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
Not to me. The species consists of several subspecies.Warren Dew wrote: Preserving the species is different from preserving all the subspecies.
If you mix them all up, it's not what I would call preserving. You're drastically changing it.
While there is a market for shit, there will be assholes to supply it.
- cronus
- Black Market Analyst
- Posts: 18122
- Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:09 pm
- About me: Illis quos amo deserviam
- Location: United Kingdom
- Contact:
Re: The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
Does it matter? It isn't like the tigers complain?mistermack wrote:Not to me. The species consists of several subspecies.Warren Dew wrote: Preserving the species is different from preserving all the subspecies.
If you mix them all up, it's not what I would call preserving. You're drastically changing it.

What will the world be like after its ruler is removed?
- mistermack
- Posts: 15093
- Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:57 am
- About me: Never rong.
- Contact:
Re: The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
Not to you, I'm sure. But then, if we all died tomorrow, nobody would complain. You would probably celebrate. If you could.Scrumple wrote: Does it matter? It isn't like the tigers complain?
While there is a market for shit, there will be assholes to supply it.
- laklak
- Posts: 21022
- Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 1:07 pm
- About me: My preferred pronoun is "Massah"
- Location: Tannhauser Gate
- Contact:
Re: The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
You sound like Tyrannical talking about mixed-race marriages.mistermack wrote:Not to me. The species consists of several subspecies.Warren Dew wrote: Preserving the species is different from preserving all the subspecies.
If you mix them all up, it's not what I would call preserving. You're drastically changing it.
Yeah well that's just, like, your opinion, man.
- cronus
- Black Market Analyst
- Posts: 18122
- Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:09 pm
- About me: Illis quos amo deserviam
- Location: United Kingdom
- Contact:
Re: The man who bred 120 tigers in rural Lincolnshire
I wish I had said that. It was on the tip of my tongue.laklak wrote:You sound like Tyrannical talking about mixed-race marriages.mistermack wrote:Not to me. The species consists of several subspecies.Warren Dew wrote: Preserving the species is different from preserving all the subspecies.
If you mix them all up, it's not what I would call preserving. You're drastically changing it.

What will the world be like after its ruler is removed?
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], L'Emmerdeur and 17 guests