Couple brings trained Bengal tigers to Clark County Fair

Juergen Nerger rubs the nose of one of the tigers that will be performing at the Clark County Fair Tuesday as he takes a break from setting up their performance tent. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Juergen Nerger rubs the nose of one of the tigers that will be performing at the Clark County Fair Tuesday as he takes a break from setting up their performance tent. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Judit and Juergen Nerger have been training Bengal/Siberian tigers to perform for decades.

This week, they are bringing the show to the 2018 Clark County Fair at the Clark County Fairgrounds.

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The tigers will perform on Saturday and Sunday at 3, 6, and 8:30 p.m., and at 6 and 8:30 p.m. weekdays, said Judit Nerger.

It takes up to a year and a half to train a tiger and raising them also poses a challenge, said Judit Nerger.

“It’s a lot of fun, but it’s very exhausting,” she said. “It’s a 24 hour job.”

The Nergers, travel across the country with the tigers. They have been training Bengals for 30 and 40 years, respectively, she said.

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There is a degree of unpredictability when working with tigers, she said. “Every show is different.”

There are eight tigers altogether, but the Nergers cycle performances in groups.

All of their tigers were born in captivity and are between the ages of four and 20 years old, she said.

The two youngest tigers are Snow Whites, a rare breed of Bengal tiger, according to Judit Nerger.

She said and her husband have a special bond with the tigers.

“We feel it, and they feel it. It has a lot to do with how you approach them,” she said.

The tigers will be on display during the fair when they are not performing, Dean Blair, Executive Director of the Clark County Fair said.

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