This poster, on display in the Ross County Heritage Center Museum, is for a circus in 1829. It’s thought to be the oldest such poster in this part of the country.
It was advertising a “grand menagerie” of animals, including an elephant, an ichneumon (mongoose), and several varieties of monkeys and apes. But the most intersting creature has to be the “Brazilian Tiger” or what we’d call a jaguar today. The text describing him claims the animal is so strong, it can kill a horse or a bufallo and carry it off with ease. “It seems to have no other instinct than a thirst for blood.”
Note the long, claw-like toes on the elephant. Tippoo Sultan appears to have brought to the US in 1821 when he was about fifteen years old, and was displayed around the United States for a decade or so. He may have died around 1837-1838.
The admission was pretty pricey for the era: ¢25 for adults!