Kimber “Corkey” Miller

Kimber “Corkey” Miller hales from North Carolina. Throughout her childhood she had a great aptitude with, and fondness for, animals and has had numerous beloved pets over the years. After graduating high school, she attended veterinary school to tend to sick and injured animals, eventually accepting a job at a local horse farm in Lexington, Kentucky where she helped take care of more than 400 horses. 

While working there she met an experienced animal trainer who taught Corky about working with big cats and other animals. She was deeply impressed with the manner he used to train them using positive reinforcement, humane protocols and great care, which has since been Corkey’s method as well. So began her journey in training animals for film. It wasn’t long before many in Hollywood became familiar with her work and her reputation grew.  During her amazing career she has worked with Oprah Winfrey, Dolly Parton, Bill Murray, Robert De Niro and many more.

Earlier in Corkey’s career she also worked with famous magicians in their shows containing animals – all along ensuring the animals well-being was paramount. In 2007, she began a long stint working in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee utilizing her vast experience with big cats, for the Magic Beyond Belief Theater and the Smoky Mountain Opry. 

Today, Corkey continues with animal training while being an on-call Animal Safety Consultant for APA. She has a number of animals including five horses, several dogs, cats, birds and a kinkajou.

Corkey Miller opened up many doors for young girls who would like to pursue a career in animal

training by proving that women could do the job as well as a man. Her motto that guided her through

her life has always been “If you persevere through life, you will have a happy ending.”