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On Safari in the past

The information in this section relies primarily on contributions from the Bengal community to reconstruct the history of On Safari.

On Safari History

By Pam Knowles

September 27th, 2007

I promised I would try to devote a little bit of time to answering some of the "On Safari questions" that folks have been asking us, so here's my last bit of OS information before our TWELFTH On Safari next weekend.

How did On Safari get started?

Way back in my "new breeder days" (13 or 14 years ago), Anthony Hutchison (Jungletrax) put together a really fun little Bengal symposium in DC (my most vivid memories of it relate to 3 items: meeting and listening to Leslie Lyons give a presentation, meeting some neat Bengal people for the first time, and last, but not least, eating a marvelous paella that Anthony and his family had made :-)!

I was so impressed with the whole thing, that I kept thinking about it when I returned home. Eventually I called Leslie Hall (who I just barely knew at that time) and asked her if she would be willing to help me put on a symposium on the west coast. She said "yes" and.....

That first time, we called it the Southwest Breeders Symposium. It was in Southern Cal and the "banquet" was a bunch of BBQ that Les and I picked up at a local restaurant and threw in the back of Les' station wagon wrapped in blankets. Later that evening, we had a bunch of Bengal breeders show up and munch on BBQ while Jean Mill gave a slide show on rosettes and I gave a little talk about leopard cat natural history. We had one congress that started out Saturday morning. Even today, On Safari itself is always a bit of blur and the first one was certainly no exception. I actually remember it better through the things that I have been told then I do actual events. But everybody had a lot of fun and, before it was over, folks were coming up to Les and I and asking, "where will you do it next year?" We looked at each other in shock, then laughed and said, "Oh, we think once was enough."

Well, apparently it wasn't :-)!

Pam Knowles

Show Archives

If you can supply missing details about any of these shows - or photographs that you'd like to see posted here - please contact the webmaster, Sean Corfield. Thank you!

2008 Marshall, TX - October 3-5

2007 Toledo, OH - September 28-30

2006 Portland, OR - October 27-29

2005 Riverside, CA - October 28-30

This was the 10th anniversary of On Safari!

2004 Syracuse, NY - October 15-17

2003 Chicago, IL - October 3-5

2002 Tucson, AZ - September 13-15

2001 Chicago, IL - October 12-14

2000 Pennsauken, NJ - November 3-5

1999 Seattle, WA - October 8-10

1998 ?, TX

1997 Chicago, IL - October 10-12

1996 Los Angeles, CA

More information about past On Safari shows will be added over time.

Photos / Links

Here are some links to other web sites that provide a glimpse of past On Safari shows:

2005 On Safari Riverside Photos by Yukari Kaneko

2004 On Safari Syracuse Photos by Yukari Kaneko

Thanks!

Thanks to the following people for providing information about past On Safari shows: Jay Bangle (dates, judges), Jane Lee (awards lists 2004, 2000). Many people have contributed photographs.