Al Oeming

Albert Frederick Hans Oeming (April 9, 1925 – March 17, 2014) was a Canadian wildlife conservationist, zoologist, professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. Oeming co-founded the professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling and owned the largest game farm in North America. Early life Oeming was born on April 9, 1925, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to Albert and Elspeth Oeming, who had immigrated to Canada from Germany. Professional wrestling career Oeming wrestled for the Capitol Wrestling Corporation in the 1940s on the urging of his boyhood neighbor Stu Hart whom he also served in the Royal Canadian Navy together with during World War II. He later co-founded the Stampede Wrestling promotion with Hart in 1948. Nature activism Oeming was the Edmonton Zoological Society's inaugural president. He sought and rescued rare and endangered wild animals, particularly in northern and western Canada. Oeming toured the country attending schools with his tame cheetah Tawana to educate children about wildlife. In the 1980s Oeming starred in the television mini-series Al Oeming – Man of the North.