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

The Father's Photographs - Brookfield Zoo I

The following pictures were taken in the late 1980s to early 1990s at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, Illinois. Records indicate during this time frame the zoo owned six elephants - female Africans Christy, Affie, Mame and Mtoto, along with female Asians Babe and Patience.

Patience is easily identified by the warts on her trunk. Babe has a ‘boot’ on her right rear foot. Christy is the youngest of the Africans.

It appears the two species were kept in separate yards. Were the yards combined during the renovation, which included removal of the dry moat and installation of a pipe and cable fence?

Photo 1, Brookfield Zoo
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

Photo 2, Brookfield Zoo
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

Photo 3, Brookfield Zoo
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

Photo 4, Brookfield Zoo
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

Photo 5, Brookfield Zoo
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

Photo 6, Brookfield Zoo
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

Photo 7, Brookfield Zoo
Photo Courtesy of M Easley