Narrating the correlation of elephants as related to their import, groupings, breeding and transfers,
along with other elephant related topics.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query "The baby elephant". Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query "The baby elephant". Sort by date Show all posts

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Highland Park Zoo - Rani

The Children's Zoo at Highland Park in Pittsburgh displayed a number of baby elephants, a custom most prevalent in zoos during the 1960s to 1970s. As worded by Toledo gossip columnist Don Wolfe, "the custom of trading in an automobile on a new model every few years has spread to elephants." The North American Regional Studbook for the Asian Elephant does not list any of the in-and-out animals to populate the Children's Zoo but four animals have been found, all using the "recycled" name Rani.

Children's Zoo - Highland Park - Pittsburgh
Courtesy of delcampe.net

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

National Zoo - Dzimbo

In October 1959, the Smithsonian National Zoo of Washington, D.C., received a baby African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a gift to the United States of America from the President of the French Communities of the Congo Republic, Reverend Fulbert Youlou.

Washington, A modern guide to the Nation’s capital; Michael Frome; 1960; Doubleday.
Courtesy of djgagnon.tumblr.com

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Petely

A series of photographs taken at the Los Angeles Zoo in California raised question to the identity of the elephant and its handler. Recent commentary by Darryl inform the trainer is Gary Jacobson, current elephant trainer for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus' Center for Elephant Conservation, with his former male Asian elephant Petely.

Los Angeles Zoo, c. 1980s
Courtesy of J Romo

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Elephants Diagnosed with Tuberculosis

"Zoo says no risk to visitors after elephant diagnosed with tuberculosis," The Sydney Morning Herald
Deborah Smith
February 5, 2011

"One of Taronga Zoo's elephants, Pak Boon, which gave birth to a calf three months ago, has been diagnosed with tuberculosis.

The zoo's senior vet, Larry Vogelnest, said the 19-year-old Asian elephant had no symptoms but tested positive in a routine, three-monthly laboratory screen for the bacterial disease, which is relatively common in elephants.

The zoo's seven other elephants have tested negative. Pak Boon is on drugs to kill the bacteria.

Dr Vogelnest said it was likely she had been infected in Thailand before coming to Australia four years ago, and the disease had remained dormant and undetectable. 'Now it has reactivated, and I think in her case it was almost certainly because of the birth of her calf.'"

For the full article:
>> "Zoo says no risk to visitors after elephant diagnosed with tuberculosis," The Syndey Morning Herald, 02/05/2011

Pak Boon and her calf at Taronga Zoo
Photo Courtesy of Anthony Johnson, SMH.com.au

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"ABQ BioPark Elephant to be Treated for Tuberculosis," GardenNews.biz
February 10, 2011

"The veterinary staff at the ABQ BioPark Zoo is actively monitoring an illness of one the zoo’s elephants.

Head Veterinarian Dr. Ralph Zimmerman has confirmed the presence of tuberculosis in Alice, a 37-year-old elephant. Tuberculosis is not uncommon in captive pachyderms and can be successfully treated. Dr. Zimmerman consulted with the nation’s primary researchers studying tuberculosis in elephants and with U.S. Department of Agriculture officials to determine the most appropriate course of treatment for Alice.

Throughout the prescribed year-long treatment, the zoo’s animal care staff will monitor Alice’s progress through trunk washes and serum analysis. The staff will also monitor her liver function, blood levels and appetite to assess side effects of the medications. Alice will remain with the rest of the herd to minimize stress on her and the other elephants while she undergoes treatment. The other elephants are continuously being tested for TB."

For the full article:
>> "ABQ BioPark Elephant to be Treated for Tuberculosis," GardenNews.biz, 02/10/2011

Alice at the Albuquerque Zoo
Photo Courtesy of KOAT.com

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"The town of Lyon pains to look after tuberculous elephants"
February 15, 2011

"Two elephants lent to the Lyons zoo of the Gold Head are from now on carrying tuberculosis. The welfare men of the zoo refuse to approach them. The circus owner of the pachyderms however awaits animalist park that it treats these elephants.

Misfortunes become legion among boarders of the zoo of the park of the Gold Head in Lyon. After the drowning of a lioness and the flight of four monkeys, here that two of its three elephants, Baby and Nepal, were detected like carriers of tuberculosis. The diagnosis ran since last year. And to prevent that a contagion is propagated, the pachyderms were far away from the public. But it is also a question of preventing that the disease does not gain the third elephant, Java. The personnel of the animalist park would wish that the two carriers of the germ of tuberculosis, which belong to the Pinder circus, leave the zoo as fast as possible.

David Gomis, the director of the Gold Head, recognizes that "the disease did not develop clinically. The elephants do not spit and do not cough". By measure of precaution it however made condemn the alleys pedestrians which lead to the enclosure. The final distance of the tuberculous elephants, according to him, is justified by the fact that "their treatment would ask for a quasi-hospital device and tons of antibiotics". In fact, two choices are essential on the eyes of David Gomis: "These elephants were entrusted to us by the Pinder circus. They must include them in their spaces of the Seine-et-Marne. If not we will have to proceed to their euthanasia".

This ultimatum had the gift to aggravate Gibet Eldestein, chairman of the circus in question. In a mail addressed to the assistant of the mayor of Lyon Gilles Buna on February 11 last, this last announced that he refuses any final solution concerning his protected suffering, Baby and Nepal. For the number one of the Pinder circuses, it returns to the Lyons zoo to look after the two tuberculous elephants or to pour 150.000 euros per elephant to him. Its missive does not let plane any doubt: "W delivered to them the pachyderms in good health."

For the full article:
>> "The town of Lyon pains to look after tuberculous elephants," CareVox.fr, 02/15/2011

Translation provided by Yahoo! BabelFish
>> "http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

Baby and Nepal at the Lyon Zoo in France
Photo Courtesy of CareVox.fr

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"Elephant spread TB to workers at Tenn. sanctuary"
Mike Stobbe
February 16, 2011

"A tuberculosis outbreak among workers at a Tennessee elephant sanctuary in 2009 is being blamed on one of the pachyderms, even though some of the employees didn't have close contact with the animal.

One elephant in the barn — a female Asian elephant named Liz — had been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Investigators believe the TB bacteria spread through the air when the elephant sneezed, or through pressure washing or dust from sweeping the barn of the elephant's waste.

The eight employees tested positive on a skin test and received treatment, but are not sick or hazardous to others, sanctuary officials said in a statement Wednesday.

Liz the elephant received treatment and is still alive, said Dr. William Schaffner, the sanctuary's president. According to the refuge's website, Liz was a circus elephant for many years, has been at the sanctuary since 2006 and is about 54 years old."

For the full article:
>> "Elephant spread TB to workers at Tenn. sanctuary," News.Yahoo.com, 02/16/2011

Liz at The Elephant Sanctuary
Photo Courtesy of Elephants.com

----

"Elephant Tuberculosis Initiative" at Elephant Care International
>> http://elephantcare.org/tbshort.htm

Monday, April 9, 2012

Candy Hitchcock Collection - Dixie

Ms. Hitchcock has graciously shared rare insight into the beginnings of the elephant program of Zoo Miami (or the Crandon Park Zoo, as it was originally known prior to relocation).
Dixie was the zoo's first elephant and about 20 when I knew her. I used to walk her out to the shade area behind the elephant barn and scratch her back with a rake. She had a huge rubber tire she carried around and we called it her 'baby'. Sadly, she developed arthritis in her front foot/leg from all the years walking on the concrete floor of the barn and was operated on. The surgery was a success but she later died of pneumonia. //Candy Hitchcock

"Hi Ryan, Here is a picture of me with Dixie. I am holding here ‘baby’. Candy"
Courtesy of C Hitchcock

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Tom Packs Elephants

The Tom Packs Elephants were considered the best trained elephant act of its time. Trained by elephant master Mac MacDonald, they represented the epitome of class and skill throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s. Originally trained as a group of five elephants for the Tom Packs Circus, four of the animals represent part of a larger group imported together in 1948. Another was added during the training period; several years later an elephant was replaced for medical reasons. The focus here is on the Tom Packs group, but will address in some detail their original shipmates as well.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Nay Aug Park Zoo, Scranton, Pennyslvania

The Nay Aug Park Zoo of northeast Pennsylvania acquired their first elephant, Queenie, in 1924. The children of Scranton facilitated a city-wide effort to collect change, funding the purchase. Four female Asian elephants in total were acquired this way, each subsequent animal being purchased within a month of the previous elephant's demise. The zoo built a new elephant enclosure in 1938, several years after the arrival of their second elephant, Tillie. Princess arrived from Iowa in 1966 and lived until 1971, replaced with the zoo's final elephant Toni. Following the closure of the Nay Aug Park Zoo in 1988, Toni was transferred to the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

Nay Aug Park Zoo's Elephant Enclosure, built in 1938 and closed fifty years later.
Photo Courtesy of Wendy S


Queenie
The children of Scranton, Pennsylvania, contributed over $3600 in change to purchase the Nay Aug Park Zoo's first elephant. Queenie arrived in June 1926 from Germany and resided at the zoo until her death in May 1935 due to acute enteritis, or inflammation of the bowels caused by a bacterial infection.

Nay Aug's first elephant, Queenie, was bought after a region wide fundraiser garnered more than $3,000. She was greeted by a crowd of about 25,000 people.
Photo Courtesy of The Times-Tribune


Tillie
Following the death of the Nay Aug Park Zoo's first elephant Queenie in May 1935, the city began another fundraiser to purchase a replacement elephant. Tillie was purchased from the John Benson Wild Animal Farm in New Hampshire, along with her companion donkey, Joshua.

In 1938, the Nay Aug Park Zoo celebrated Tillie's eighth birthday and built a new enclosure for her and the donkey via the Works Project Administration. The following year, an ailing Tillie was diagnosed by Larry Davis of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus with a 'cold of the kidneys' due to the concrete flooring in the barn. It was replaced with wood. The donkey died twenty years later in December 1958.

In February 1966, Tillie slammed zookeeper George Lowry into a wall with her trunk. She was euthanized later that year (before September), though it is unknown whether it was due to her more aggressive nature or her infected and abscessed feet.

1949: Tillie, the dancing elephant, and her donkey companion, Joshua, are photographed with some visitors to Nay Aug Park Zoo.
Photo Courtesy of The Times-Tribune


Princess Penny
In late 1966, Scranton began a third campaign to purchase a replacement elephant. The Nay Aug Zoo's second elephant Tillie had shortly before been euthanized. Baby elephant Princess Penny arrived in Scranton in September 1966, though died less than five years later in July 1971 due to extensive bloating.

Princess Penny and Jack, a 1-year-old pony who was on a trial visit to the Nay Aug Zoo, get acquainted under the watchful eye of director George Lowry.
Photo Courtesy of The Times-Tribune


Toni
After the death of Princess in July 1971, Scranton held their final campaign to replace an elephant for the Nay Aug Park Zoo in Pennsylvania. Toni was purchased from the Children's Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa, where she had previously resided for several years.

Toni was transferred to the National Zoo in October 1989 after the closing of the Nay Aug Park Zoo in Pennsylvania. Nay Aug Park Zoo officials originally planned to transfer Toni to Canada, but city residents persuaded to keep her in America. She, just as the other three elephants of the zoo in Scranton, had previously been kept as a single elephant in a concrete enclosure with a concrete yard.

Toni was again the center of debate in 1993 when zoo officials desired to send the twenty six year old animal to Los Angeles to breed with a male. Some Scranton residents desired Toni to eventually return to their town and argued she was too old to bear a calf. The plan never came to fruition.

Toni had sustained an injury to her left front leg in 1975 at the Nay Aug Park Zoo, a problem that eventually lead to her death in January 2006 at the National Zoo. She had previously been successfully treated there for acute kidney disease in 2001.

Toni was a small elephant, and at her peak weighed between 6,000 and 6,500 pounds.
Photo Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Zoo


Contradictory Records
Very little information is listed about Tillie and Princess Penny in the North American Regional Studbook for the Asian Elephant. Both elephants are listed with a Temporary Studbook Number, lacking "supporting documentation to validate their identities." Both elephants are also listed as "Lost-to-Follow up," or a "documented animal whose current location is unknown."

The North American Asian Elephant SSP also lists an elephant named Ruth, arriving at the Nay Aug Park Zoo in 1941. She is also listed with both with a Temporary Studbook Number and Lost-to-Follow up. No further information has been found regarding this animal or her existence.

The news article documenting the history of Nay Aug Park Zoo's elephants states Tillie celebrated her eighth birthday in 1938, though they later state she turned forty two between 1965-1966. The North American SSP lists her birth as 1924. The same article also states Tillie was put down in 1966 after she attacked her keeper. A different news article states the "aged and arthritic" animal was euthanized in 1971. She was first given a shot of curare and then a shot of nicotine before she finally died from a bullet shot to her head. If Tillie in fact died in 1971 and not in 1966, this diminishes the Cheryl Kashuba's statement that each elephant at the Nay Aug Park Zoo was solitary and was a successor to the previous resident. Tillie and Princess Penny would have resided together from 1966 to 1971 until they both died that year, replaced by Toni.

The author of the main article for the basis of this research, Cheryl Kashuba, could not be reached to further discuss these animals or discrepancies therein regarding this information.

Karen Lewis, Conservation Program Assistant for the Oregon Zoo and responsible for the maintenance of the North American Regional Studbook for the Asian Elephant, has been contacted with this updated information. As stated in the 2010 Studbook, "In our continuing efforts to validate all of the undocumented elephants, we would like to solicit your help by requesting that you review both of these [Lost to Follow up and Undocumented] sections and provide us with any information that might help us locate the elephants that have been lost to follow up, validate the undocumented elephants, or lead us to someone who might be able to provide this information."

Records
Queenie, Female Asian
Unk - Born Wild
Unk - Germany
16 Jun 1924 - Nay Aug Park Zoo, Scranton, Pennsylvania
04 May 1935 - Death

Tillie, Female Asian, SB T2296
1924 - Born Asia
31 May 1935 - Nay Aug Park Zoo, Scranton, Pennsylvania
1966 - Death

Princess Penny, Female Asian, SB T2253
Unk - Born Wild
Sep 1966 - Nay Aug Park Zoo, Scranton, Pennsylvania
01 Jul 1971 - Death

Toni, Female Asian, SB 279
1965 - Born Thailand
Oct 1966 - Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines, Iowa
1971 - Nay Aug Park Zoo, Scranton, Pennsylvania
25 Oct 1989 - Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington, D.C.
25 Jan 2006 - Death

Sources
>> "Elephants of Nay Aug Park Zoo, Scranton, Pennsylvania" at ZooChat
>> "Toni's History," Smithsonian National Zoological Park
>> "Letter from National Zoo Director John Berry to Zoo Staff About Toni the Elephant," Smithsonian National Zoological Park
>> "Nay Aug Zoo elephant cage" by Wendy S
>> "The people of Scranton can't forget about Toni Townsfolk ponder elephant's future" by Ann LoLordo, BaltimoreSun.com, 1993-03-08
>> "Facility Update: National Zoological Park, Washington D.C." by Rachada Simms," Journal of the Elephant Managers Association Vol 18 No 1, 2005, p 13
>> "D.C. Zoo Harming Ill Elephant, Expert Says," WashintonPost.com, 2006-01-20
>> "Asian Elephant Euthanized," National Zoological Park, 2006-01-25
>> "Young, old campaigned to bring elephants to Scranton" by Cheryl A Kashuba, The Times-Tribune.com, 2010-06-27
>> "Abandoned Zoo at Nay Aug Park" by Cheri Sundra, 2010-08-02

Last updated:
16 January 2011, 04:30 PM by Ryan Easley

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Washington Park Children's Zoo - Indianapolis

Indianapolis' first zoo opened in 1964 and exhibited animals until its closure and subsequent transfer to a new site in 1988. This facility first exhibited Asian elephants, before switching to African elephants. Generally speaking, only a single elephant was exhibited with a few instances of two for short time periods.

"Tumthong, a baby Asiatic elephant born in Laos and shipped here by air, was bought for the Zoo with the pennies, nickels and dimes contributed by thousands of school children."
Courtesy of Circus No-Spin Zone

Monday, April 30, 2012

Studbook Mysteries - Israel

A February 1977 issue of The Circus Report announces the birth of an Israeli elephant, inadvertently creating the topic of a curious mystery for an elephant historian 35 years later.

Circus Report, 6th year No 6, Page 9, 02/07/1977
Courtesy of CircusHistory.org

Friday, December 20, 2013

St. Louis Zoo - Eleanor

The story starts in 1955, with eight elephants imported by Louis Goebel and purchased by Anheuser Busch for the St. Louis Zoo. The new animals were to be trained by Floyd Smith and presented to the public in daily shows, a testament to the Polack act trained by Mac MacDonald. Within five years, three of the group were sold. The first, Eleanor, was sold to the Weed Park Zoo in Muscatine, Iowa, in September 1959.
OpLink - History review (original record card / ks)
0/8 purchased from Louis Goebel Wild Animal Farm ($3,500 ea. price plus insurance, $28,000 total) with funds donated by Anheuser-Busch Charitable Trust. 0/4 arrived at Goebel in May 1954 and another 0/4 in October 1954, where they remained for training by Zoo elephant trainer, Floyd Smith, until being trucked to the Zoo by Anheuser-Busch.

Postcard 4, St Louis Zoo
Postcard Courtesy of S Hoss

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Franklin Park Zoo - Pat

The Franklin Park Zoo acquired a nine month old, 650 pound baby elephant in March 1952, bringing its herd of Asian elephants to four, joining Beba, Topsy and Jennie.


Courtesy of BostonGlobe.com

Friday, February 11, 2011

Chester Zoo Birth & Death

The Chester Zoo celebrated the birth of a new female Asian elephant and mourned the death of the herd's matriarch within a three week period.

Newborn calf at the Chester Zoo, 02/2011
Photo Courtesy of ChesterZoo.org

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Endangered Ark Foundation - Breeding Program

The Carson & Barnes Circus and Endangered Ark Foundation recently celebrated the first birthday of their elephant herd's youngest member, Hugo! The product of natural breeding between 20 year old Tommy and 42 year old Whimpy, his addition brings the total number of males for the facility to four.

Hugo, 08/2011
Courtesy of Carson & Barnes Circus on Facebook

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Oklahoma City Zoo Elephant Birth

In celebration of Mother's Day, ShowMe Elephants discusses the first North American elephant birth for 2011.

In December 1998, half sisters Asha and Chandra were sold to the Oklahoma City Zoo. At their new home, they were both transitioned from Free to Protected Contact. In the summer of 2008, both cows were transferred across the state to the Tulsa Zoo on a breeding loan, slated to return by the end of 2010 upon the completion of a new Asia exhibit.

The new Asia exhibit was designed as an 11 acre, $23 million dollar project due to open in 2011. The elephant exhibit will be designed as though entering Thailand and giving the elephants up to six acres of grassland, as opposed to the previous quarter acre of concrete.

A year after arriving, Asha and Chandra were introduced together to Tulsa's 36 year old bull elephant Sneezy in the summer of 2009. After behavioral changes and high hormone levels in bloodwork, Asha was confirmed pregnant when a heartbeat was detected during an ultrasound in October. It was announced to the public in December. Both returned in winter 2010 to adjust to the new habitat before its debut; only Asha returned pregnant, though both cows were observed bred by the male.

The Oklahoma City Zoo debuted their new elephant exhibit on March 11. The $13 million project boasted to be the largest Asian elephant exhibit in the country. It was funded by Oklahoma City sales taxes, except for $665,000 in private donations. Nine and a half acres for the exhibit includes three exhibit yards, a demonstration pavilion and an eight stall barn with a sand floor common area. The new habitat opened just weeks before the expected delivery of the zoo’s first baby elephant.

In mid April, the zoo took both elephants off exhibit while awaiting the birth of Asha’s calf. The expectant mother was kept in the barn’s maternity stall while her sister Chandra stayed in the community stall. 16 year old Asha gave birth to a 304 pound healthy female calf several days later on Friday, April 15.

Asha and calf, Oklahoma City Zoo
AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki - News.Yahoo.com

A large compilation of news articles regarding the Oklahoma City Zoo elephant program and the first birth in the zoo's history, along with a live webcam of the animals can be found at NewsOK.com.

>> "Elephant Nation" at NewsOK.com

Chandra, calf and Asha, Oklahoma City Zoo
AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki - News.Yahoo.com

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Studbook Mysteries - Lincoln Park Zoo


From Wade Burck's "Circus No-Spin Zone:"

Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Vintage Lincoln Park Zoo
This photo taken in 1963 shows Teena being walked around the zoo.
Posted by Wade G. Burck

Friday, February 4, 2011

Bulls of Zoo Miami

Zoo Miami currently houses two separate herds of elephants. Machito, Miami's 31 year old African bull resides with two 35 year old African cows, Maybel and Peggy. Miami also houses a 45 year old male Asian elephant, Dahlip, with a 42 year old Asian cow named Nellie. The elephants are managed in protected contact.

Dahlip
Dahlip has sired four calves with the female Seetna at Zoo Miami. Dahlip and Seetna were both born within a month of each other at the Trivandrum Zoo in Kerala, India. They arrived together to Miami MetroZoo in August 1967. A male calf named Rocky was born in April 1977 but died after seventeen days. Another male was born in Jul 1981. This calf, originally named Ganesha, would be the only surviving offspring of Dahlip. A third female calf named Pearl was born in October 1985 and died two days later. The final calf was stillborn in May 1996. Complications of this birth would cause the death of the 30 year old mother Seetna, requiring her euthanasia.

In February 2010, the Miami MetroZoo used a water-cooled hand saw to trim 12 inches of ivory from Dahlip's tusks to prevent him from injuring himself by hitting them on the floor when he walks. The 12000 pound elephant was forty three years old.

Dahlip, Zoo Miami's Asian male, October 2009.
Photo Courtesy of Tim May, ZooChat

Dahlip and Nellie, Zoo Miami's Asian elephants, October 2009.
Photo Courtesy of Tim May, ZooChat

Machito
Although kept with several females at Zoo Miami, Machito has only sired one calf. He bred with Tribby before her transfer to the Cleveland Zoo in November 1992 following the destruction caused by Hurricane Andrew. She gave birth to a male calf in March 1994, though the animal only survived a day. It was the only elephant birth at the Ohio zoo.

Machito, Zoo Miami's African male, October 2009.
Photo Courtesy of Tim May, ZooChat


Spike (Ganesha)
Miami MetroZoo's only surviving elephant birth occurred in July 1981. The calf was named Ganesha after the Hindu god. After Hurricane Andrew devastated the zoo in 1992 and several elephants residing at the zoo were temporarily or permanently relocated, Ganesha was moved to the Calgary Zoo in Canada and renamed Spike.

Spike has sired two calves in Calgary. Keemaya was born in November 2004, though she was rejected by her 14 year old mother and later developed an infection. She died within several weeks. The pair's second calf was born in August 2007 and named Malti. In late October 2008, the fourteen month old calf was diagnosed with Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus and died six days later. At the time of Malti's death, only four elephants were known to have experienced symptoms of the disease and recovered.

Both calves born to Spike and Maharani were full F2 generation births, meaning both of their parents were born in captivity. Maharani was born at the Calgary Zoo to Bandara and Kamala in July 1990.

Spike currently weighs 12,500 pounds and measures 11'6" at the shoulder.

Spike, Zoo Miami's only surviving birth, March 2009.
Photo Courtesy of B Van Hooft

Records
Dahlip (Dalip), Male Asian, SB 139
10 Jul 1966 - Birth, Trivandrum Zoo, Kerala, India
26 Aug 1967 - Miami MetroZoo, Miami, Florida
11 Sep 1992 - Two Tails Ranch, Williston, Florida
02 Jun 1995 - Miami MetroZoo, Miami, Florida
>> Dahlip at Elefanten-Fotolexikon.eu

Machito, Male African, SB 197
Apr 1980 - Birth, Zimbabwe
Jul 1981 - Catskill Game Farm, Catskill, New York
13 Sep 1981 - North Carolina Zoo, Asheboro, North Carolina
11 Nov 1981 - Miami MetroZoo, Miami, Florida
>> Machito at Elefanten-Fotolexikon.eu

Spike (Ganesha), Male Asian, SB 141
02 Jul 1981 - Birth, Miami MetroZoo, Miami, Florida
19 Sep 1992 - Calgary Zoo, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
>> Spike at Elefanten-Fotolexikon.eu

Additional Information
"A Tusky Situation," 02/04/2010
>> http://www.elephant-news.com/index.php?id=5181

"Calgary Zoo Celebrates Elephant Calf Arrival," 08/09/2007
>> http://www.elephant-news.com/index.php?id=2574

"Baby Elephant Gravely Ill of Herpes Virus," 11/01/2008
>> http://www.elephant-news.com/index.php?id=4316

Monday, June 6, 2011

Franklin Park Zoo - Beba

The Franklin Park Zoo received a female Asian elephant from animal collector and movie star Frank Buck in summer 1947. This animal is only found in one compiled census record five years later. No further information regarding this animal is available at the current time.

Original Franklin Park Zoo elephant building
Courtesy of Mark B, RememberPlain.blogspot.com

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Studbook Mysteries - Tote-Em-In Zoo

A mystery elephant has been discovered in the annals of the Billboard magazine archives, the Tote-Em-In Zoo's successor to Bertha, the Nugget Casino's famed elephant who spent 37 years at the Las Vegas entertainment venue until her death in 1999.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Studbook Mysteries - Seabury


From Wade Burck's "Circus No-Spin Zone:"



Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Vintage Brookfield Zoo Elephants
The photo above is from 1953, elephant unknown, at the Brookfield Childrens Zoo. It is incredible today to think that they used to keep and raise the young elephants in the Children's Zoo. Does anyone know if they actually kept the elephants at the Childrens Zoo, or did the bring them back and forth from the elephant house each morning and night. The sand/dirt walkway around the pen was most likely a path as the animals probably paced along the fence and it prevented the grass from tearing up, and becoming unsightly.
Posted by Wade G. Burck

Susan said...
Based on records I'm guessing this is Melinda, wild born in 1951 and came to Brookfield from Seabury in 1952. She died in October of '53.
Apparently from spring till fall we would keep young elephants at the Children's Zoo - they would return to the Pachyderm House during the winter months. Over the years we had several calves at the Children's Zoo - Winkie, Mame, Babe/Baby Brookfield, Cora/Noel (who lives at the CEC)... There are probably others but record keeping was practically nonexistent back then.
If you look on eBay there are usually postcards of elephants at the Children's Zoo. To the best of my knowledge we did this up until the '70s.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Eddie Drake - Toka

Originally posted 04/13/2012
Updated 05/29/2012 with news article and image


An interesting ad in a 1977 issue of The Circus Report announces an act and elephant rides available for rent.

Circus Report, 6th year No 17, Page 8, 04/25/1977
Courtesy of CircusHistory.org