Title supplied by cataloger. Mourners gather to pay final respects to animal trainer, May Kovar Schafer, also known as Madam Kovar at the Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Oxnard, California. A minister stands before the coffin offering final prayers. Schafer died while breaking in a new lion, Sultan, at a wild animal farm in Thousand Oaks when he attacked her, severing her spine. Her children witnessed the attack and tried desperately to save her, but the lion was too powerful and only stopped when elephant trainer, Rudy Muller, swung at the lion's head with a pipe. The funeral was held on December 23, 1949.
Type
Image
Format
1 negative :safety ;10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
