WOMAN’S UNUSUAL VOCATION AS WILD ANIMAL TRAINER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26963, 24 December 1948, Page 8

WOMAN’S UNUSUAL VOCATION AS WILD ANIMAL TRAINER

Daily Times Special Service WELLINGTON, Dec. 23. V One of the two professional women animal trainers in the world is at present visiting Wellington with Wirth’s Circus. She is Mrs F. Schafer, whose name in the show business is Madame Kovar. In her complete charge she has the eight lions, six male and two female, which are part of the menagerie and circus. ..Mi’s Schafer and her family are all in the circus business. Mr Schafer is in charge of the elephant troupe at ihe circus and he has the assistance of their daughter, May, who is nearly : 16. Their son, Michael, who is 17. takes care of the Great Dane dogs who take part in the lion act. Mr and Mrs Schafer have a baby daughter who has been left behind in Sydney. "'Mrs Schafer said to-day that the only other woman animal trainer in the world was her friend, Miss Mabel Stark. Mrs Schafer has been in business about 20 years and had toured -America, England. Europe and Australia before coming, to New Zealand While in America she worked with ■Ringling Brothers’ Circus, and her feusband trained animals for Tarzan films produced by' Metro-Golawyn-Mayer. She had chosen animal training as a profession because she loved dnimals and liked to be among them, said Mrs Schafer. It was an unusual occupation for a woman but patience arid a love of animals were the main requirements for an animal trainer. “ You must also be willing to take what the animals give,” she said. * I have had one or two narrow escapes but so far I have been lucky enough to escape serious injury."