Kane County Fair: Where to see animals play

A good circus always features high-wire, tightrope walkers.

They also tend to include trained animals such as elephants and tigers.

But Bob Blaszak takes it one step further at his "Tigers of the World" show.

He has India, a high-wire, tightrope walking Bengal tiger.

She is one of seven tigers Blaszak brought to the Kane County Fair. The show is unofficially a part of a three-part animal show at Midway, the center of the fair, along with pig racing and Elephant Encounter.

Blaszak said the show allows kids and adults to appreciate the animal in a tight setting.

"People are amazed to see such a beautiful animal up close and seeing how massive it is," he said.

Blaszak, 42, is a third-generation tiger trainer.

He has performed with big cats since he was 15 years old.

As a boy, he said he had pets just like everybody else, except these pets happened to be larger than other people's pets.

"There's no difference to people who have dogs and cats at home," he said. "I grew up with tigers in my backyard. You get very attached to these animals."

The show consists of his tigers performing feats such as sitting up, jumping through a hoop across two 8-feet-high platforms, and then the finale: India's routine.

All shows are scheduled a half-hour before the pig races, which are scheduled a half-hour before the elephant show.

The tigers are raised from birth on Blaszak's 10-acre compound between Bradenton and Sarasota, Fla.

"I have a bond with these animals," he said. "I know when they're having a good day or a bad day."

Included in the show are a white tiger, several Bengal tigers, and a rare Sumatran tiger.

Blaszak has several scars to show his work.

He said trainers are aware of the danger before they do the work.

"I know what they can do," he said. "I know they can rip me to shreds if they really wanted to and it can happen."

Diana Vonderheide of Dekalb said that although she is a big fan of tigers, she's not a big fan of shows such as "Tigers of the World."

"I struggle with taking a natural animal into captivity," she said. "(But) I've always admired and loved tigers. They're beautiful animals."

Blaszak acknowledges some people don't agree with his work.

But he said his show uses only animals that have been bred and raised while in captivity.

"If I put these animals out in the world, they'd probably die," he said. "This is what they know. I can't change people's opinions. It's like TV. If you don't like something, turn the channel, don't watch it."

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