JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The circus is in town, and a special group of children got an up-close look Friday at some of the biggest stars of the show.
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus opened its Big Cat Care Clinic to children in the Special Olympics.
The North Florida School of Special Education students got the best view as the famous tigers and lions showed off some impressive tricks.
“It was so much fun,” 9-year-old Jean said. “I learned how much the cats weigh. They were like 480 pounds.”
Alexander Lacey has dedicated his life to training lions and tigers. His passion for the majestic animals can be seen from the moment he appears in the ring, and his mission is to educate others.
“The kids always have the best questions,” Lacey said. “A lot of the questions are actually quite the same. It's always entertaining when we have an audience of children.”
“I just love to see the faces of the kids,” said Karen Prewitt with the North Florida School of Special Education. “They're so excited to see everything going on, and it's just a treat.”
After the show, the animals were treated to a feast and headed backstage to rest up for Friday night's show.
Chick-fil-A treated the children to a feast of their own, and they got free tickets to Friday's circus.