Gunther Gebel-Williams

Gunther Gebel-Williams
File:Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus Gunther Gebel-Williams 1977.jpg Gunther Gebel-Williams with one of his trained leopards, circa 1977.
Born	Gunther Gebel (1934-09-12)September 12, 1934 Schweidnitz
Died	Venice, Florida, United States
Cause of death	Brain tumor
Resting place	Venice Memorial Gardens, Florida
Occupation	Animal trainer
Spouse(s)	Sigrid (Neubauer) Gebel (m. 1968-2001, his death)
Children	Mark Oliver Gebel Tina Gebel-Del Moral

Gunther Gebel-Williams (September 12, 1934 - July 19, 2001) was an animal trainer for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1968-1990.

Early life

Gebel was born in Schweidnitz, Lower Silesia (now Świdnica, Poland). As a child he and his mother emigrated to Germany when Silesia was ceded to Poland after World War II. His father was still missing in the Soviet Union when he and his mother started working for Circus Williams in Germany in 1947. When the circus owner suddenly died, his widow asked the then 18-year-old Gunther to train and take over which began his career as an animal trainer. Gunther Gebel then took on the additional surname Williams.

Career

Gebel-Williams was a well-known circus animal trainer. He came to prominence during the early days of television when the circus was still a popular form of entertainment. His appearances on television shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, in addition to his work with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, accelerated his renown as a tamer primarily of elephants and tigers. Gunther Gebel-Williams has a son, Mark Oliver Gebel, and a daughter, Tina Gebel-DelMoral. Their mother is Sigrid Gebel. After retiring from the ring, Gunther took a management position as Vice President of Animal Care for the circus. He passed down onto his son Mark Oliver Gebel, the job of animal trainer and performer.

Death

He died on July 19, 2001 in Venice, Florida under the name "Gunther Gebel-Williams".

External links

• Article about Gunther Gebel-Williams at Ringling.com
• Gunther Gebel-Williams at Find a Grave

References

• [1]