Lucia Zora

Circus life In 1904, she was hired by Sells Floto Circus, based in Denver, Colorado. She performed in the ballet, rode in the grand entrée, appeared as a background performer, and managed the lesson horses, with hopes of advancing to animal handling. The menagerie superintendent personally trained Lucia and incorporated her into the dangerous elephant act. The Sells Floto Circus claimed to have the world's most extraordinary collection of trained elephants. She was noted in 1912 for her ability "to handle the big beasts as well as Carl Hagenbeck or any of the famous trainers of the other sex."

Two years into her circus career, Lucia Zora rose to stardom for her fearless handling of various wild animals. She stepped up to tame a mix of lions and other big cats when owner Harry Heye Tammen decided to add a lion and tiger act. During her debut, Zora was enclosed in a 12-foot ring with tigers, equipped only with a chair, whip, and a blank-loaded .32 revolver. Fred had guards with pitchforks on standby. Despite sustaining several wounds, she took charge by the end of two hours. After testing her approach with lions, she succeeded in keeping both rival species caged together. One of the biggest elephants in captivity, Snyder, balanced her on his tusks and learned to stand on his hind legs. She also taught him to walk the length of the Big Top while balancing her. Snyder became unmanageable following the Alispaws' retirement and was ultimately put down.

By 1917, she had become the circus's leading animal trainer. At the height of her popularity in December 1917, the circus couple decided to retire from the circus industry.

Following her retirement, she settled in a home a few miles south of Fort Pierce.

She became known as the only female elephant trainer in the world. The big-cat trainer was considered the first to combine lions and Bengal tigers together in one cage.