Biography

George P. Vierheller was born on July 30, 1882 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He died on September 18, 1966 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Director of the St. Louis Zoo, 1922-1962.

Built a theater for his chimpanzees, dressed them in costumes, and taught them to count, smoke, bicycle, box and play the tympani. Put lions, tigers and leopards together in an animal-training act, and coaxed baby elephants to do the hula.

Gave Marlin Perkins his first job, sweeping the Zoo's sidewalks. Two weeks later, Vierheller put Perkins in charge of the reptiles. He stayed with the Zoo until 1938 to take over the directorship of the Buffalo Zoo.