Tabayara Maluenda & Big Cats Vignette - Circus XTREME

Tabayara Maluenda, aka “Taba,” is a sixth-generation circus performer who knows how to build trust with tigers. Performing for Ringling Bros.® is Taba’s dream come true. Every day he looks forward to the moment when the arena darkens and the spotlight beams upon his majestic big cats. Taba’s infectious energy, charisma and passion for performing knows no bounds, as Taba sees family where others see danger! In Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Circus XTREME, Taba and his entourage of 16 exotic Bengal tigers demonstrate an intimate bond between human and animal that is unforgettable!

The young Chilean began his circus career at the age of 13 as an acrobat, leaving school to help support his family. He spent all of his off-time with the animal trainers, watching them work and observing the animals. His mother, a sixth-generation trapeze artist, didn’t want her young son to follow in the footsteps of her grandfather, a tiger trainer. But for Taba, after watching the great animal trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams perform on TV with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, there was no looking back.