Werner Winter (trainer)

Werner Winter (born July 24, 1924 in Kaisten ; † October 17, 2001 in Pratteln ) was a Swiss predator trainer. He was Europe's youngest predator tamer in the 1940s.

Winter grew up as the third oldest child in a family of eleven. From an early age he expressed an interest in animals and circus life and at the age of 16 he saw the Swiss Circus Knie show in the village of Brugg . After his return home, he announced that he would follow him immediately to work there.

His career began at the circus as a tent builder, then as an usher and later as a zoo keeper . This talent and love for animals was encouraged and at the age of 19 he was a predator tamer, known at the time as an animal tamer, with his own show. At that time the only Swiss predator tamer, the youngest in his field in Europe and probably even worldwide.

It was not uncommon for him to sleep in the cage with his animals ( lions , tigers , cheetahs , leopards and panthers ) at night , and when they were sick he looked after them lovingly. He was one of the few animal trainers who managed to tame and train predators, who had come straight from the wild (which he later condemned and fought heavily - his clear standpoint: Born Free, Live Free, Stay Free!) .

Became famous Werner Winter with his lion Findel baby Saida, which together with the inseparable puppy Bill with him tame grew up. Some time later, at Werner Winter's request, Saida was successfully released into the wild in Africa.

Werner Winter appeared in many circus dynasties in his career and was a. a. celebrated as “Europe's Tarzan” in the ring. At the beginning of the 1950s he retired from circus life, but his great love for animals stayed with him all his life.

His personal friendships also included the one with animal researcher and writer Joy Adamson .

Web links

• http://www.wernerwinter.com