A Nubian lion named Nero threw himself at the tiger.
http://www.fulco.lib.in.us/Tombaugh/Fulton%20Co.%20Handbooks/Html/Handbook%20Cole%20Bros.htm"Ladies and Gentlemen-n-n--" he cried in sonorous tones. It is my pleasure to announce the world's greatest collection of wild and ferocious beasts, denizons of jungle and plain and veldt, in the most daring spectacle of all time, with Clyde Beatty."
The vast audience fell into deep silence as Nero, a great black-maned lion walked into the arena, sprang to his pedestal and yawned as he seated himself. Then came Nuba and Caesar.and many others, each taking his place. Presently the tigers entered the cage. The Bengals appeared to be sullen and Beatty met with difficulties in driving the giant cats to their places. Pasha, a beautiful female, was particularly ill-tempered and refused to obey the conductor's commands. Beatty approached her, chair in one hand, ring-whip in the other. Slowly the tigeress gave way, leaped to her pedestal, but instead of taking seat, sprang at him snarling, roaring. Beatty made a frantic effort to sidestep the leap, but the cat was upon him.
The dead-silence was broken as women screamed when Nero, the great Nubian, leaped, a roaring streak of yellow and black. There was the screaching wail of the Bengal as Nero hurled his weight against her lithe, striped body. Instinctively, she turned to meet this new adversary, and Clyde Beatty was saved, a torn, bleeding, badly spent man.
Although severely lacerated and believed seriously injured, the chap who has since electrified the nation both in the arena and on the screen was not daunted. A few weeks in the hospital and he was back again, the hero of the greatest thing of its kind ever assembled, a pageant of visciousness to which Pasha the tiger was made to contribute daily her stipend of sullen, treacherous bulk to the glory of Nero the lion and the crowning success of Clyde Beatty the man.
