Eye of the tiger
“Was it 1957 or 1958 when we met?” – Roy asked “I think it was 1957 but I am not sure any longer” – Siegfried responded Today he was turning 59, but Roy felt that he was 46 as the day he met Siegfried in that old rusty cruise ship in Bremen, his life experienced a second beginning. And what a life… As the make-up artist was working on hiding his wrinkles, he stared at the spotlight mirror and his mind quickly winded back to his humble professional origins in Germany. First pfennigs (German pennies/cents) and penuries in post-war Europe, then some French and Swiss francs and finally glamour, success and piles of notes first in Monaco and then in the US. Tigers were his second love. They had given him glory and recognition. In return he had offered them optimal living conditions, protection from their threatened habitats and invested in numerous conservationist projects. He smiled with pride. The show would be starting shortly. Over 1500 people, some of them travelling from ove...