Axel Gautier

From the list of elephant persons Family: Gautier

☨ Axel Gautier
Axel Gautier 1986.
Personal details
Country	United States

Locations
Title	elephant head-keeper 1989-1993
Location	at Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus - Retirement Farm in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1978-1979
Location	at Circus World (Polk City) in United States

Title	chief elephant trainer 1970-1989
Location	at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus (Blue Unit) in United States

Title	assistant elephant trainer 1969-1970
Location	at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus (Blue Unit) in United States

Title	assistant elephant trainer-1969
Location	at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in United States

Biography details

Alexander Gautier , circus elephant trainer in United States

Born 1942-01-11 in Germany dead 1993-05-05 in United States , son of animal trainer Lulu Gautier and animal trainer Edith Gautier .

Affiliation with 1 elephants

1: Reba (fatal attack)

Casualties

1 casualties

1993-05-05: elephant trainer Axel Gautier fatal attack by Reba. The elephant approached Gautier from behind, pushed him down with her trunk and stepped on him, the sheriff's report said. Alexander Gautier † Axel Gautier Died 1993-05-05, Shands Hospital in Gainesville. Gautier was treated at a Williston hospital for internal injuries to his chest, pelvis and abdomen and then flown to Shands Hospital in Gainesville, where he died.

Born in 1942 in Breslau, Germany, which is now a part of Poland, Mr. Gautier was descended from six generations of circus performers. His ancestors founded the Didier Gautier circus in France.

Lulus son Axel (-1993), went as assistant to Hugo Schmitt to Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Baileys Circus in 1947, when they bought the elephants from Hagenbecks Circus. Axel Gautier remained with the Ringling show to replace Hugo Schmitt in 1970, and was in charge of the Blue Unit's elephant Herd through 1989.

Axel Gautier, Rex Williams and John Ruche at DeLand.

One day at Circus World Axel dropped by saying that he and Donna had just returned from a brief European vacation. His cousin Trolle Rhodin even had business cards made up and directed him where to go and whom to see, especially Circus Krone since they were distantly related.

In Munich he found that the show was in rehearsal but was directed to Mr. Sembach's secretary who led him to the great man's office and was instructed to wait outside, he watched as she presented his card and then return immediately saying "Herr Sembach is busy today" and handed him a program.

Axel Gautier on RBBBs 116th edition.

In 1993 Axel Gautier was killed by Reeba at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus elephant retirement facility in Williston, Florida, he was taken by helicopter to the hospital, and he died in Shands Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He was 51.

May 5, 1993: Axel Gautier, one of the best-known elephant trainers in the world, was crushed to death when an elephant stepped on him at the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey elephant farm in Gainesville, Florida. Gautier was standing with three elephants in a corral when a 24-year-old female Asian elephant suddenly knocked him down and stepped on him. The circus veterinarian was standing nearby.

The circus trainer crushed to death by an elephant was looking through the lens of a video camera at the time and probably did not see the 8,000-pound animal approaching from behind, deputies said Friday.

Levy County Sheriff Ted Glass said Gautier was videotaping other Adult elephants at the time, and the camera's narrow field of vision apparently prevented him from seeing the 24-year-old female Asian elephant that attacked him.

The elephant involved was not a performer and was used exclusively for breeding. Ringling spokesman Rodney Huey said there had been no previous reports of problems with the animal.

In addition to his sons, he was survived by his wife, Donna, of Venice, who used to work with him in the show; three sisters, a half- brother and a grandson.

Family

Total: 2 children

Michael Gautier. Born: 1964.
Kevin Gautier. Born: 1969.

Siblings

Siblings through the father Lulu Gautier (1887-08-29 -- 1949-01-04):

Ingeborg Gautier Born 1929-02-11 Dead: † 2015-11-19

Axel Gautier s ancestral Ahnentafel:
P	I	II	III
Axel Gautier Born: 1942-01-11	Father: Louis Gautier Born: 1887-08-29	Paternal Grandfather: Jean-Baptiste Gautier Born: 1841-11-24	Paternal Great-grandfather: Jean Gautier
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Louisa Frese
		Paternal Grandmother: Marie Monseiller Born: 1843-12-20	Paternal Great-grandfather::
		Paternal Grandmother: Marie Monseiller Born: 1843-12-20	Paternal Great-grandmother:
	Mother: Edith Otto Born: 1910-11-18	Maternal Grandfather: Born:	Maternal Great-grandfather:
		Maternal Grandfather: Born:	Maternal Great-grandmother:
		Maternal Grandmother: Born:	Maternal Great-grandfather:
		Maternal Grandmother: Born:	Maternal Great-grandmother:

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). elephant trainer Alexander Gautier in United States. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 29 March 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/person.php?id=176. (archived at the Wayback machine)