How the Cornish Guardian reported the event (7 August 1969)

“The crowd behaved extremely well but a circus spokesman said there was never any danger to the audience because there was no danger to the animals knocking down the enclosing fence.” On Tuesday, it was a case of back to work as normal.”Īs the event unfolded, the audience was instructed to remain calm and in their seats with the intention of avoiding panic that might have exacerbated the situation, with the Cornish Guardian report saying: “During the tense situation, which upset many children, the audience was told to stay in their seats and remain calm to avoid panic. “Mr Weidmann, a life-long trainer and described as one of the greatest in Europe, used his outstanding skill to calm down the animals and completed his act. The lost railway lines that once criss-crossed Cornwall.The former life of Cornwall's iconic Camel Trail.His presence of mind and courage prevented the situation from getting out of control whereby his life and that of other animals might easily have been lost. The newspaper said: “Circus folk and spectators afterwards spoke of Mr Weidmann’s courage in risking his own life. The report also told of how, thanks to Mr Weidmann’s courage and skill, he was able to prevent the situation from getting further out of hand and, remarkably, managed to calm the other animals and complete his act. “Mr Weidmann managed to separate the two animals but then another tiger jumped onto the bear before Mr Weidmann again parted them.”

The August 7 edition of the Cornish Guardian featured a report of the event which told the tale of the incident, saying: “One of the tigers jumped onto the bear and broke its neck, leaving it helpless to defend itself. It was during his act with the tigers and bears that disaster struck when one of the bears was attacked by the tigers. With this combination of animals known to be difficult to present together at the same time, it was Weidmann’s ability to do so successfully that was part of the reason he was so highly regarded.Ī similar circus act by Alfred Court from 1939 His act involved some unusual circus animals, notably four tigers, two polar bears and a Himalayan bear. Joining Reco’s Circus for his first season with the company was Swiss circus trainer Eugen Weidmann, who would years later still be recognised as one of the leading circus trainers of his generation. The town’s residents packed into the tent in eager anticipation of a live circus show featuring myriad different animals.īut the show would suddenly turn into a shocking bloodbath which left some of the younger members of the audience frightened. Monday, August 4, 1969, saw the first visit to the town from Reco’s Circus as part of their Cornish tour. It’s a story told many times since by those that were there, sometimes greeted with a reply of ,“that didn’t really happen in Bodmin, did it?”

However, the town’s Fair Park was once the scene of an incident featuring a large cat of a different kind. The town of Bodmin has long been synonymous with big cats, with local legend featuring stories of a large black cat roaming Bodmin Moor, known as the Beast of Bodmin.

Bear kill tagr