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.

Circo Barley

ShowMe Elephants' previous post a year ago regarding elephants in Mexico was given information that Circus Barley housed six or seven elephants. This photo confirms five performing in the ring, the only five in one ring in Mexico according to the show.

"BARLEY CIRCUS presenta a los unicos 5 ELEFANTES en la PISTA DE UN CIRCO!!!!!! EN MEXICO!!!!!!"
Courtesy of Barley Circus on Facebook

Toledo Zoo Elephant Facilities

The Toledo Zoo debuted the first phase of their new elephant exhibit in May 2010. Phase Two is projected to open in 2012, giving the zoo's two adult female African elephants and adolescent male more than an acre of space. The construction and expansion was made possible by a Capital Levy voted on by residents of Lucas County.

Conceptual rendering of Phase II Exhibit, Toledo Zoo
Photo Courtesy of ToledoZoo.org

St. Louis Zoo - Kinzi

"IT'S A GIRL! Meet our brand new bundle of joy. An Asian elephant was born today, June 24, at 1:13 p.m. Mother and baby are bonding very well, but are not yet on public display. The height and weight of the calf are not yet confirmed. We will announce a baby naming poll at a later date. More info: http://ow.ly/5pVW7 Photo by Keeper Katie Pilgram." //St. Louis Zoo on Facebook

Jim Stockley Collection - Chipperfields 1975

This photograph is related to research of the June 2011 ShowMe Elephants post, "Jim Stockley Collection - Chipperfields 1956." The post has garnered over 70 comments relating to the 1947/1948 import of elephants from Ceylon by the Chipperfield circus family, what became of these elephants and the eight elephants sold to Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus for their 1963/1964 European Tour.

>> "Jim Stockley Collection - Chipperfields 1956," ShowMe Elephants, 06/12/2011

"All 11 elephants doing a long mount in 1975?
Mary, Leila, Sally, Camella, Lechme, Meena, Sophie, Lisa, Manju, Mohini, Minoti.
Uncle John L Chipperfield and Alex Story at the head of Mary, cousin Tommy Chipperfield helping to straighten out Camella."
Courtesy of Jim Stockley

Jim Stockley Collection - Chipperfields 1956

"Clonmel railway station, Co.Tipperary 1956 -
The 12 Chipperfield elephants leave the station with Doreen Duggan leading Mary elephant. John L Chipperfield is mid-way down the line and Dick Chipperfield bringing up the rear. The show went to Ireland with 15 elephants and sold Jimmy, Blackie and Monica (two males and a female) to Fossett's Circus. Later, eight of these twelve would go with Hugo Schmidt to Ringlings in America." //Jim Stockley

Chipperfield elephants, 1956
Courtesy of J Stockley

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

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

Video Views - Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

From the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo:

On May 13, 2011, the Zoo's 29-year-old African elephant, Shenga, ventured into the North Pool at African Elephant Crossing and surprised our visitors by taking a very enthusiastic bath in the pool. We were lucky enough to catch the entire thing on video - and here it is.

Wildlife Safari imports 1979

Wildlife Safari's Spring Newsletter discusses the arrival of African elephants to the Oregon drive-through in the 1970s.

With gratitude to Jesse Golden for sharing, "Wild Times," the newsletter for members of the Wildlife Safari, discusses the beginnings of said park thanks to naturalist and businessman Frank Hart.

In 1972 Frank was able to convince his employer, Walker and Lee, to develop 600 acres in Winston, Oregon. The site was ideal for a large reserve that could display animals from around the world in a natural setting. With rolling hills abundant in foliage and water resources closely resembling African and Asian terrain, a large variety of animal life could be supported. Wildlife Safari opened the next year.
http://www.wildlifesafari.net/cur/documents/Spring2012final4-6-12.pdf

Courtesy of Wild Times, Spring 2013

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

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.

Portland Zoo - Droopy

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

Sunday, May 1, 2011
Elephant calf being fed at the vet school - 1968
I am assuming this is Portland Zoo's Droopy born Sept. 29, 1968, and died Oct. 4, 1968.
Posted by Wade G. Burck

Droopy was the seventh calf born to the Portland Zoo's breeding herd of Asian elephants, sired by Thonglaw and born to first time mother Effie. The female calf only survived for five days before her death.

Droopy's dam Effie was listed in previous versions of the North American Regional Studbook for the Asian Elephant as "Lost to Follow-up" and differentiated as two separate elephants. This is in part due to a name change from 'Effie' to 'Sue.' An incorrect arrival date to Busch Gardens Tampa from the Portland Zoo precedes Effie's "Lost to Follow-up" status. The second entry for this same animal lists the correct date for Sue's arrival to Busch Gardens Tampa from an unknown location and her death in June 1985. Sue is listed with Temporary Studbook Number T1368. The 2010 Edition of the studbook merges these two animals. After her purchase by Busch Gardens, Effie was relocated to Texas a year prior to Busch Gardens Houston's May 1971 opening. The park closed less than two years later, prompting her transfer to the Tampa facility with three other female Asian elephants, Kaba, Tina and Mem. All four elephants remained in Florida until their deaths except Tina, still living and one of five members in the park's herd.

At Busch Gardens Tampa, Ellie resided with another elephant from the Portland Zoo breeding program. Emma (also listed as M&M) was born into Portland's Asian elephant herd in October 1973, sired by Vance and the fourth calf for dam Rosy. Within a year of her successful birth, Emma was sold to the San Jose Zoo. This transaction perhaps took place as brokered by Texas facility Vivo Animales. The 2010 Edition of the studbook adds this location in her history between Oregon and California. More information is sought regarding this location in Lorena, Texas.

A reference has been found regarding a fire at a zoo in San Jose that killed an elephant calf in the 1970s. More information is sought regarding this animal, unlisted in the studbook.

Emma / M&M reveals another update in the 2010 Edition of the North American Regional Studbook for the Asian Elephants. Previous versions list her with an alternate name 'Satchmo.' The 2010 Update adds Satchmo as a new elephant, SB 698, a year old male Asian elephant first arriving to Vivo Animales and transferred to Busch Gardens Tampa in July 1975 with Emma. He died the following month.

Records
Droopy, Asian Female, SB 55
29 Sep 1968 - Birth, Portland Zoo, Portland, Oregon
04 Oct 1968 - Death, Portland Zoo, Portland, Oregon

Effie (Sue), Asian Female, SB 54
1950 - Birth, Asia
1951 - Oakland Zoo, Oakland, California
11 Aug 1966 - Portland Zoo, Portland, Oregon
05 Mar 1970 - Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida
05 Jun 1970 - Busch Gardens, Houston, Texas
23 Jan 1973 - Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida
01 Jun 1985 - Death, Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida

Emma (M&M), Asian Female, SB 63
31 Oct 1973 - Birth, Porltand Zoo, Portland, Oregon
Unk - Vivo Animales, Loreana, Texas
~1974 - San Jose Zoo, San Jose, California
22 Jul 1975 - Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida
26 Oct 1986 - Death, Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida

Satchmo, Asian Male, SB 698
1974 - Birth, Asia
~1974 - Vivo Animales, Loreana, Texas
22 Jul 1975 - Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida
30 Aug 1975 - Death, Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida

Brian Kohler Collection - Lion Country Safari

Retired elephant handler Brian Kohler has been gracious enough to share his photo collection with ShowMe Elephants. The first series of pictures to be posted features Lion Country Safari of West Palm Beach, Florida.

Stumpy, Ladybird, Bulwagi and Mama
Courtesy of Brian Kohler

Baltimore Zoo 2010

The following photographs were taken in May 2010 at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. The facility exhibits five African elephants - females Dolly, Anna and Felix with males Tuffy and Samson.

Main exhibt yard w/ barn in background
Courtesy of R. Easley

Showmen's Rest - Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus

An imported entry from Circus Diaries regarding an event during the 2010 Kelly Miller Circus season.


A few weeks ago when we first entered the Chicago area, I visited the Showmen's Rest at Woodlawn Cemetery in Forest Park. Susan from the Brookfield Zoo informed me of the place and took me out there to see a bit of circus history.

Showmen's Rest is run by the Showmen's League of America and was created in 1916. It is surrounded by five elephants with their trunks lowered in mourning and is most recognized as the final resting place of the crash victims in the Hagenbeck-Wallace train tragedy of 1918.


The Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus was, at its peak, the second largest circus in America following only Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey. In June 1918 before dawn, the train was traveling through Illinois to Wisconsin when it was struck by an empty Pullman train. As a result of the crash and the fire ignited, eighty six circus hands, roustabouts and performers were killed; many more personnel suffered injuries, though no animals were lost.


The Showmen's League donated a portion of their newly formed resting place to the circus to bury those lost in the tragedy. Most of the stones are simply inscribed 'Unknown Male' (or Female) along with the fateful date, June 22,1918. There are a few with more proper names, such as 'Baldy,' '4 Horse Driver,' and 'Smiley.'


You can learn more about the story, Showmen's Rest, and the Showmen's League of America at their website.

From Chris Berry - Circus Posters
"This early -- and very rare -- Hagenbeck Wallace litho is a part of the Tibbals collection at the Ringling Museum of the Circus in Sarasota. Dated between about 1905 and the early 1920s it is one of very few surviving lithos printed for Hagenbeck Wallace by the Donaldson Litho Company. In addition to printing theatrical and circus posters, William Donaldson was the founder of Billboard magazine - originally targeted to billposters, but now focusing on the music industry."

George, Tulsa Zoo

The Tulsa Zoo presents a display in their elephant building for news articles, stemming many decades, relating to their elephant program. Through referencing these articles and conversations with elephant personnel, the following information was discovered regarding George, a young male Asian elephant belonging to the institution.

Don Meyer originally purchased the five year old male elephant from Morgan Berry for The Ranch. The Ranch, located in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, was originally a facility for the mentally handicapped. Meyer was responsible for forming a zoo through the organization before founding his own entity, Jo-Don Farms.

The animal's namesake was George Spiedel, director of the Milwaukee Zoo with whom Meyer had worked with as elephant consultant to the institution. The Tulsa Zoo later acquired George by trading to the Ranch Zoo three recently born tiger cubs; the Ranch Zoo planned to sell the animals for fund raising. Don Meyer was attempting to build an elephant breeding program at the Tulsa Zoo with the acquisition of their first male elephant.

At nine and a half years old, George was found dead. A necropsy found internal bleeding near his heart; his body was buried. He had previously mated with Tooma but no pregnancy occurred.

Former Tulsa Zoo elephant exhibit, late-1980s
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

Records
George, Asian Male, SB 594
1968 - Birth, Asia
Unk - Morgan Berry
Unk - Don Meyer
Unk - The Ranch Zoo, Menomonee Falls,
27 Sep 1972 - Tulsa Zoo, Tulsa, Oklahoma
02 May 1977 - Death, Tulsa Zoo, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Happy Mother's Day - Rotterdam Zoo

"I believe the top left cow is Yasmin with her mother Irma next to her. Front left: Anak, Sibu and Trong Nhi. Anak is Yasmins daughter and Sibu is the youngest calf of Irma. Trong Nhi is the daughter of Douanita. Father of Anak, Sibu and Trong Nhi is Alexander. //Lillian Berthung

Family photo from Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam, 08/2004
Courtesy of Lillian Berthung

Dallas Zoo - Stumpy

The Dallas Zoo announced the death of one of the five oldest African elephants in the country, 47 year old Stumpy. Stumpy arrived with companion Mama in 2010 for the Dallas Zoo's new Giants of the Savannah exhibit.

Stumpy and Mama, Dallas Zoo
Courtesy of The Dallas Zoo on Facebook

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