Jungleland USA

Jungleland USA

Company type	Privately owned
Industry	Zoo, animal training, theme park
Founded	1926
Founder	Louis Goebel
Defunct	October 1969
Headquarters	Thousand Oaks, California , United States
Products	Animal performances, trained animals for film and television

Jungleland USA operated as a privately owned zoo, animal training center, and animal theme park located in Thousand Oaks, California. The site it once occupied is now home to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. At its height, the property spanned .

History

In 1926, Louis Goebel established Jungleland to fill the void left when Universal Studios shut down its animal facility. The foundation of Goebel's collection consisted of five lions previously owned by Universal. Originally called Goebel's Lion Farm and subsequently Goebel's Wild Animal Farm, the establishment grew to include a wide range of exotic species that were trained and leased to film studios. By 1929, it had opened its doors as a public theme park.

During the 1940s and 1950s, live animal performances drew large crowds, featuring entertainers such as Mabel Stark, famously known as the "lady lion tamer." The zoo was home to several famous creatures including Leo the Lion—the emblem of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer—Mister Ed from the television series, Bimbo the elephant from Circus Boy, and Tamba the chimpanzee featured in Jungle Jim productions.

Jungleland’s trained animals and sets were utilized in numerous television shows and films like The Birth of a Nation, The Fugitive, Tarzan the Ape Man, Doctor Dolittle, and The Adventures of Robin Hood. The park was also showcased in an episode of Route 66 (Season 2, Episode 31).

A tragic incident occurred in 1966 when a male lion attacked Zoltán Hargitay, son of actors Mickey Hargitay and Jayne Mansfield. Additionally, a barn fire in 1940 resulted in the deaths of 12 animals, including tigers and elephants.

Competition from other amusement venues in Southern California combined with Thousand Oaks’ urban expansion led to Jungleland’s closure in October 1969. Following bankruptcy, all movable property—including animals, structures, vehicles, and equipment—was auctioned off. Although Goebel retained ownership of the land, it was eventually sold to the city for development projects such as the Civic Arts Plaza.

See also

• List of defunct amusement parks
• List of former zoos and aquariums

External links

• Historical plaque at the site of Jungleland
• Stagecoach Inn Museum: Jungleland Exhibit