Did you know?
Tiger man Sasha Siemel
The image is a detail from the cover of the 1953 ACE adventure book, Tigrero!.
August 07, 2004
During the 1950s, stories about Sasha Siemel’s adventures in the Brazilian jungle were a thrill for many readers. Siemel was a Latvian who immigrated to South America and became a well-known jaguar hunter.
Born in 1890 in Rīga, Alexander “Sasha” Siemel is reputed to have killed more than 300 big cats during his years in the Mato Grosso jungle of Brazil. He died in 1970 in his home in Pennsylvania, according to an article by Hugo J. Byrne in the electronic Spanish-language journal Guaracabuya.
Legend has it that Siemel killed many of the cats with just a spear, but several sources say the majority were shot with a rifle or handgun.
Siemel’s exploits were retold in books and articles about him, as well as in his own writings. Among the earliest was Tiger-Man: An Odyssey of Freedom by Julian Duguid, published in 1932 in the United Kingdom and in the United States, but in 1933 in France under the title Tiger-Man: Histoire de Sacha Siemel, le tueur de jaguar. Duguid also wrote about Siemel in his 1950 book, Green Hell.
Siemel’s stories about hunting appeared in American magazines such as Argosy, Blue Book Magazine and Cavalcade, according to The FictionMags Index, while stories about him also appeared in hunting magazines such as Feathered Shaft. Siemel also wrote a 1952 article for National Geographic, “The Jungle Was My Home.”
He wrote or co-wrote at least four books: Jungle Wife (1949), Tigrero! (1953), Jungle Fury (1954) and Sashino: The Story of Jaguar Hunt in Brazil (1965). Tigrero! was to be made into Hollywood feature film, starring John Wayne and Ava Gardner, but the 20th Century Fox studio pulled the plan after it learned it would cost too much to insure the movie stars, according to The New York Times. Instead Finnish director Mika Kaurismäki in 1996 released Tigrero: The Film That Was Never Made, a documentary that took independent director Jim Jarmusch and screenwriter Sam Fuller back to the Brazilian jungle that Fuller had explored in 1954 as he research the screenplay.
Siemel also appeared in the 1937 Jungle Menace film series, which starred animal trapper Frank Buck. Siemel played the role of “Tiger” Van Dorn. A total of 15 episodes were made, according to the Internet Movie Database. He also appeared in the same role in the 1946 feature film Jungle Terror.
In 1953, Siemel was interviewed by journalist Charles Collingwood for the “Adventure” series produced by the American Museum of Natural History and broadcast on the CBS television network.
Siemel also was among big-game hunters profiled in Peter Hathaway Capstick’s 1981 book, Death in the Silent Places.
— Andris Straumanis
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Comments about this article
André Mommen
This fine article contains useful information about Siemel. In Tigrero! he depicts himself as a "German"and there is only one reference to Latvia. It seems to me that the book is ghostwritten or at least heavily edited and/or rewritten for a North-American public. That he killed th tiger with a spear belongs to the required flavour. In the book he appears as a travelling blacksmith. Maybe that this job was not enough for making a book. Because he is writing from the position of an outsider he can allow himself of giving commentaries on the local communities of diamond diggers, peasants, indians and criminals. The book is not of a great importance and only gives us an inpression about what was published about still "wild countries" and "primitive people" in remote areas of Latin America. I read the book in the fifties when beeing a child. I am rereading it today. I could remember a fair part of the whole story and even Siemel's remarks on local women.
12 Aug 2004 (Europe)
Talis B.
Lasiju vina gramatu 1954. gada.
15 Aug 2004 (Canada)
Janis Plostnieks
Your interesting article about Sasha Siemel brings back memories of meeting with him around 1966. At that time he lived in Perkiomen, PA. Representing the American Latvian Baptist Youth Association, I went to see him to invite him to speak at one of our summer camps. Already in his mid seventies, he was still a vigorous man. Some four or five years ago he had been back to South America for his last tigre hunt. In Perkiomen he had a museum, open to the public, containing many exhibits from his hunting trips. He was very willing to talk and show a movie, demonstrating his hunting technique, at one of our campfires. That was an evening never to be forgotten. Especially amazing was his hunting technique, which he demonstrated to us: he would hold the spear, one end resting on the ground, and wait for the tigre to jump and impale himself on the spear. The tigre's paws would come within a few inches of Siemel's face. An amazing feat, indeed! Siemel's son Sasha Siemel, Jr. continued in his father's footsteps, killing his first tigre a the age of 14. He has written a book, "Sashino", published in 1965 by Prentice-Hall, Inc., describing his adventures in South America. In 1969 I visited a Latvian Baptist mission school in Rincon del Tigre, Bolivia. There I accidentally met a Bolivian man, who had been one of Sasha Siemel's, Sr. hunting companions. Sasha's footsteps are still to be found.
05 Feb 2005 (United States)
Hugo J. Byrne
I am pleasently surprised to find my old essay as well as the electronic journal "Guaracabuya" as reference sources on this very interesting article. As a former outdoorsman (I am 71), Siemel and his South American hunting exploits always fascinated me.
01 Jun 2006 (United States)
Caroline Woollett
Mr. Siemel was in Surinam with my father in 1933, on an abortive expedition to find gold. I am trying to find out more about this expedition - all I have are a few letters and papers - and would be very interested to know if anyone else has heard about this venture. My father referred to Mr. Siemel as Tigerman always in his letters and he respected and liked him very much.
26 Jun 2006 (Great Britain (UK))
Maria Siemel McCulley
Sasha is my grandfather. -- I have always been told that he referred to himself as German because he was half Latvian and half German. Family lore has it, he got along better with his mother, who was German.
21 Jul 2006 (United States)
André Mommen
According to Caroline Woollet, Siemel was a gold-digger too. This sheds some more light on his person. This adventurer could have been a fake figure created by the media. The story of the spear must be invented in order to present him as an amazing Tarzan who took over a job until then belogning to indians and mestizos. In his largely ghostwritten book he is a hunter catching wild animals and exporting them to the US. How he could earn his living in the US is still unclear. Was his wife working? By giving interviews or lecturing on tigers? That seems to me very strange.
21 Sep 2006 (Europe)
Mariano
Acabo de terminar el libro "Tigrero" y me pareció uno de los libros de cacerías mas impresionante que jamás haya leído!! Digno de que este libro se lleve a la pantalla gigante! ojalá se haga!
06 Oct 2006 (Argentina)
Donn Hayden
In 1954 or thereabouts, I met Sasha Siemel at a camp in Vermont while he was on a book tour for 'Tigrero' which my parents purchased for me and Sasha signed. I can remember him holding the spear to illustrate how he killed the cats face to face. I can also remember the respect he had for them, as he became a ten year old boy's first hero. Sasha Siemel is certainly a legend, Tarzan is but a myth.
24 Oct 2006 (United States)
Kristine Kirsch Stivrins
RARE FINDS! The Camp Saulaine Bookstore (non-profit church bookstore), outside of Toronto, has 2 copies of "Sasa Ziemelis: Dzunglu Mednieks", hardcover, 239 pages, in Latvian, written by Sasha of his escapades and published by Gramatu Draugs in 1954. In return for a donation to the bookstore, please let me know if you are interested. http://www.campsaulaine.com
01 Mar 2007 (Canada)
Guntis Kupers
What a hero! He helped to decimate the large cats of South America. Hope we do not have more heroes like him hanging around the Americas.
03 Mar 2007 (United States)
john reagor
If you read DEATH IN SILENT PLACES you will see pictures of Sasha.This man was real and his stories are well documented and true. Sasha was a true adventurer and a man of many talents. He had mental focus and skill few men have had or will ever posses. He was also a spiritual man. Are you any of these?
03 Jul 2007 (United States)
j.bauman
I agree with Guntis Kupers. He is from a bygone era when it was acceptable to kill animals for sport. Also, reading the above, he could have advertised his Latvian heritage more, rather than passing himself off as a German. We have so few heroes. Years ago in Australia when I was growing up even the Konrads kids ( Olympic swimmers ) identified with Australia even though they were recent immigrants. Stand up and be proud of your roots!!!!
04 Jul 2007 (Canada)
Guntis Kupers
Yes, Sasha was a true adventurer, who apparently was also a spiritual man. “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” –The jaguar moveth not! A hero is another story. The people who ran into the twin towers to help the trapped people should be considered heroes, but to equate a hunter and an adventure as a hero is a little stretch. As a retired educator and veteran I am not to old to be educated in what you think a true hero is.
10 Jul 2007 (United States)
Kristine Kirsch Stivrins
Yes, the definition of a hero changes with the times--Sasha was a hero THEN. Emigrant done good--likely no English, no Spanish initially. Gunti, you have enough energy to be bantering on Open Forum, commenting on what happens today where Latvians exploit each other, the environment,etc. etc. Ziemelis book is still available in the Saulaine Bookstore. . You don't have to agree with the "hero"--read the book to improve your Latvian!
20 Jul 2007 (Canada)
Liene Straumanis Sorenson
I became interested in these stories after reading about Sasha on Latvians Online. Being a librarian, I had no difficulty in obtaining several of the books through the interlibrary loan system. I was moved to read about Sasha as a young boy in Liepaja (I also left Latvia by way of Liepaja in 1944) and his difficult journey abroad, and also his painful relationship with his older brother. My impression from the three or four of the books that I've read has been that he was an unfailingly courageous and courteous person who respected both fellow man and beast. I was greatly impressed with his wife, in "Jungle Wife," and think she was without a doubt a great heroine! I'd like to know more about her.
25 Jul 2007 (United States)
Kristine Kirsch Stivrins
There is only one more copy left in the Saulaine Bookstore of "Sasha Ziemelis: Dzunglu mednieks", long out of print. The non-profit bookstore runs on donations and volunteers! Contact me if you are interested in this rarity! Thanks!
28 Aug 2007 (Canada)
Tracy Walters
I am in possession of a tigre and letters from Sasha to his beloved Mafia from many of the premier hotels of the time prior to his marriage along with the actual black and white photo which appeared on many magazine covers of him with two of his tigres (one of which was sent to Mafia, who was my great aunt by marriage). My husband has since deceased and I am wanting to sell these items. Please contact me if you know anyone interested. Thank you. Tracy
13 Jan 2008 (United States)
Lidija Palks
I am so happy to learn more about Sasa Ziemelis. I met him when he was traveling in Iowa with movie on his life in Brazil. He stayed in our home for few days. I have several pictures that I took of him. I would very much like to get in touch with his granddaughter, if you could help me.
22 Apr 2008 (United States)
Mark Ayoob
To Tracy Waters, please email me at eeehhh87 @ yahoo.com. if you still have those letters or any other items related to Sasha. I am in the process of collect Sasha related items for a private Latin American adventurers/hunters museum-like project I am undertaking. And to Janis Plostnieks...I have been to Ricon de Tigre myself...very interesting place. Nowadays though, its unfortunately populated with more contraband traffickers than cows.
27 Apr 2008 (United States)