Animal trainer and founder of Goebel's Lion Farm (later known as Jungleland).
Louis Goebel worked at Universal Studios in the 1920s, feeding and caring for the studio's animals. When studio executives decided to eliminate their menagerie, Goebel bought them, including dogs, rabbits, chickens, a fox, other small animals and six African lions -- Andy, Min, Bill, Momma, Poppa and Little Caesar. Goebel found a location in Thousand Oaks and, with the county's permission, opened Goebel's Lion Farm in 1927. One of the famous early residents at Goebel's Lion Farm was Leo the Lion, the MGM trademark. Mr. Ed, the famous "talking horse" from the television series, lived there later.
Goebel first sold the Lion Farm in 1946, and again several times after that. After each new owner was unable to make a success of the operation, it was returned to Goebel. In 1956, the property was sold to 20th Century Fox, and renamed Jungleland. The property was sold back to Goebel in 1961, who started to develop an amusement park at Jungleland.
Jungleland closed in 1969, and an estimated 1,800 animals were auctioned off, except those Goebel retained. Goebel later sold the property to the city of Thousand Oaks.
Goebel continued to export wild animals all over the world. He supplied many animals to zoos all over the United States, including furnishing many of the animals for the first zoo in Hawaii. In the late 1940s, he supplied most of the rhesus monkeys that were used in the research and development of a vaccine for polio.
Louis Goebel worked at Universal Studios in the 1920s, feeding and caring for the studio's animals. When studio executives decided to eliminate their menagerie, Goebel bought them, including dogs, rabbits, chickens, a fox, other small animals and six African lions -- Andy, Min, Bill, Momma, Poppa and Little Caesar. Goebel found a location in Thousand Oaks and, with the county's permission, opened Goebel's Lion Farm in 1927. One of the famous early residents at Goebel's Lion Farm was Leo the Lion, the MGM trademark. Mr. Ed, the famous "talking horse" from the television series, lived there later.
Goebel first sold the Lion Farm in 1946, and again several times after that. After each new owner was unable to make a success of the operation, it was returned to Goebel. In 1956, the property was sold to 20th Century Fox, and renamed Jungleland. The property was sold back to Goebel in 1961, who started to develop an amusement park at Jungleland.
Jungleland closed in 1969, and an estimated 1,800 animals were auctioned off, except those Goebel retained. Goebel later sold the property to the city of Thousand Oaks.
Goebel continued to export wild animals all over the world. He supplied many animals to zoos all over the United States, including furnishing many of the animals for the first zoo in Hawaii. In the late 1940s, he supplied most of the rhesus monkeys that were used in the research and development of a vaccine for polio.
Animal trainer and founder of Goebel's Lion Farm (later known as Jungleland).
Louis Goebel worked at Universal Studios in the 1920s, feeding and caring for the studio's animals. When studio executives decided to eliminate their menagerie, Goebel bought them, including dogs, rabbits, chickens, a fox, other small animals and six African lions -- Andy, Min, Bill, Momma, Poppa and Little Caesar. Goebel found a location in Thousand Oaks and, with the county's permission, opened Goebel's Lion Farm in 1927. One of the famous early residents at Goebel's Lion Farm was Leo the Lion, the MGM trademark. Mr. Ed, the famous "talking horse" from the television series, lived there later.
Goebel first sold the Lion Farm in 1946, and again several times after that. After each new owner was unable to make a success of the operation, it was returned to Goebel. In 1956, the property was sold to 20th Century Fox, and renamed Jungleland. The property was sold back to Goebel in 1961, who started to develop an amusement park at Jungleland.
Jungleland closed in 1969, and an estimated 1,800 animals were auctioned off, except those Goebel retained. Goebel later sold the property to the city of Thousand Oaks.
Goebel continued to export wild animals all over the world. He supplied many animals to zoos all over the United States, including furnishing many of the animals for the first zoo in Hawaii. In the late 1940s, he supplied most of the rhesus monkeys that were used in the research and development of a vaccine for polio.
Louis Goebel worked at Universal Studios in the 1920s, feeding and caring for the studio's animals. When studio executives decided to eliminate their menagerie, Goebel bought them, including dogs, rabbits, chickens, a fox, other small animals and six African lions -- Andy, Min, Bill, Momma, Poppa and Little Caesar. Goebel found a location in Thousand Oaks and, with the county's permission, opened Goebel's Lion Farm in 1927. One of the famous early residents at Goebel's Lion Farm was Leo the Lion, the MGM trademark. Mr. Ed, the famous "talking horse" from the television series, lived there later.
Goebel first sold the Lion Farm in 1946, and again several times after that. After each new owner was unable to make a success of the operation, it was returned to Goebel. In 1956, the property was sold to 20th Century Fox, and renamed Jungleland. The property was sold back to Goebel in 1961, who started to develop an amusement park at Jungleland.
Jungleland closed in 1969, and an estimated 1,800 animals were auctioned off, except those Goebel retained. Goebel later sold the property to the city of Thousand Oaks.
Goebel continued to export wild animals all over the world. He supplied many animals to zoos all over the United States, including furnishing many of the animals for the first zoo in Hawaii. In the late 1940s, he supplied most of the rhesus monkeys that were used in the research and development of a vaccine for polio.
Gravesite Details
The twin headstone was installed in 2007, and was designed by the Goebels' daughter, Alma Goebel Heil
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
