Bill Prickett Collection - Julius von Uhl

Ryan,

The next three photos are of Baron Julius von Uhl, and elephant, taken June-1997, at Circus Hall of Fame, Peru, Ind. I have no additional info on the elephant.

Best Regards,

Bill Prickett

"Julius von Uhl, Circus Hall of Fame, Peru IN, June 1997"
Courtesy of B Prickett

Photographs from the Son - St Louis Zoo I

The first three pictures were taken in June 2008 at the St. Louis Zoo in St. Louis, Missouri. The last 2 pictures were taken in December 2010. They are posted for Jim Alexander, who told us recently the current Sea Lion Arena is in its last year of usage in 2011. Prior to aquatic shows, it displayed the elephant show under the direction of Floyd Smith.

Photo 1, St Louis Zoo, June 2008
Courtesy of R Easley

The Father's Photographs - Columbus Zoo

The following photographs were taken at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio in June 1995. Pictured below are the zoo's herd of Asian elephants at the time - 22 year old Connie, 24 year old bull Coco and 25 year old Bomba. Two African elephants also resided at the zoo separate from the Asians.

Photo 1, Bomba, Coco and Connie, Columbus Zoo, June 1995
Courtesy of M Easley

Lee Richardson Zoo - Penny

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

Thursday, June 9, 2011
Penny, Garden City Zoo/Lee Richardson Zoo, Garden City, Kansas, Year Unknown
Posted by Wade G. Burck

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."

Bill Prickett Collection - Peoria Shrine Circus

Ryan,
These two photos were were taken at Peoria Shrine Circus, Peoria, Il, 6-96. Corky Plunkett and elephants. Show produced by Plunkett family. James, I believe, later said these elephants were sold to their cousin (?) Bill Swain.

Am looking forward to seeing KM this fall and spending some time visiting with you. I visited on the Litchfield, Il, date in maybe April, but left right after the show due to approaching storm.....and the three hour drive home. Best............Bill Prickett

"Corky Plunkett and elephants, Peoria Shrine Circus, 6-96"
Courtesy of B Prickett

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.

Toledo Zoo Birth

New Birth
The Toledo Zoo celebrated the birth of their second calf near midnight on Friday, June 3. The zoo had previously announced in late March their 32 year old female African elephant Renee was pregnant and due to give birth in late spring or early summer. She conceived the animal via artificial insemination with semen collected from Callee of Pittsburgh and Ajani of Indianapolis. World renowned elephant expert Dr. Dennis Schmitt assisted in the procedure and process. The yet-unnamed calf joined a herd of three – his mother Renee, his eight year old half brother Louie and 26 year old Twiggy. More information regarding the calf and photos as well will be added once released to the public.

>> Notnamed at Elephant.se

Renee and her calf, Toledo Zoo, June 2011
Courtesy of ToledoZoo.org

"What the Elephants Know"

By Nicholas Hune-Brown
Toronto Life
Posted June 29, 2010 at 8:57 AM

"The Toronto Zoo has lost four elephants in as many years, and the fate of the remaining herd—Iringa, Thika and Toka—is uncertain. Can a one-hectare habitat in the middle of a northern city be any kind of home for exotic animals with complex thoughts and feelings?"


Comments on this article:

"One of the finest articles ever written, going over the intricacies of keeping creatures as magnificient as elephants in captivity… their intelligence, charm, grandeur does not warrants them for the poor life they face while in captivity… no wonder in religions such as hinduism, elephants have been worshiped for decades… hats off to toronto life for publishing this great article… only if humans could learn something from elephants??"
June 29, 2010 at 12:21 pm | by Rahul Kushwah

"Thank you for this thoughtful piece of writing. So much journalism these days seems to pick a side and advance it unrelentingly. In such pieces you can see that the presentation of the facts is skewed by the author’s position and you wonder where the inevitably nuanced and complicated “truth” is underneath the polemic. This makes me all the more appreciative of a piece like this that in my view attempts to take a fair and balanced approach to everyone involved. It is clear that this is a complicated issue with no easy answers. How refreshing to have it presented to us in such an intelligent and forthright manner. More like this please."
July 24, 2010 at 2:22 pm | by Cara Gibbons

>> http://www.torontolife.com/daily/informer/from-print-edition-informer/2010/06/29/what-the-elephants-know/

Toronto Zoo Elephant Herd, Summer 2009
Photo Courtesy of N Daniels

Photographs from the Son - Hank

The Columbus Zoo announced this week they received a new breeding bull under advisement of the Species Survival Plan. The 23 year old Asian elephant arrived from Riddle's Elephant Sanctuary in Arkansas on December 8.

Hank, Riddle's Elephant Sanctuary, June 2006
Courtesy of R Easley

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.

Romeo and Juliette

From Chris Berry:

"This poster from the Ringling-Barnum "Romeo & Juliette" tour seems appropriate today. This one-sheet was used for performances at Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum during the spring of 1995."

Romeo and Juliette
Photo Courtesy of Chris Berry

The Births
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus celebrated the birth of two Asian elephants within less than a two week period in the winter of 1992-1993. Juliette, named after Ringling owner Kenneth Feld's daughter, was born at Ringling's elephant breeding compound in Williston, Florida, on December 30, 1992. Eleven days later, Romeo was born, a namesake of the Shakespearean couple.

Both Romeo and Juliette were sired by Gary Jacobson's bull Petely. The half-siblings were the only offspring of the 26 year old bull before his death in June 1992. Juliette was born to first time mother, 14 year old Icky II. Icky II has since given birth to three more female calves. Romeo was born to first time mother, 17 year old Alana. Alana has since given birth to four more calves, all still living and the most recent born in April 2010.

The Tour
The 1994-1995 seasons of the Ringling Blue Unit featured the one year old calves, originally presented by Ted Svertesky and Patricia Zerbini. In early January, however, the Ringling Brothers Circus suffered their most serious train accident in over 100 years after a derailment in Lakeland, Florida. Both Ted and a clown with the show were killed. Patty would present the calves and their mothers for the remainder of the year, but would not return for the following season.

"There were 23 elephants, the most ever carried while indoors but it was a clumsy arrangement. Jimmy Silverlake was in charge of "King Tusk", Graham Chipperfield was there with his three elephants, Patty Zerbini had her elephant "Luke" as well as presenting the two mother cows and their calves "Romeo" and "Juliet" that she and Ted had brought on the show. I handled the remaining fourteen. A large stock pen was erected in the elephant tent so the punks could roam and nurse at their leisure and all four were transported back and forth from the train in a large wagon." //Buckles Woodcock

"During the 8 day lay-off in Orlando, I had the two mother cows "Alana" and "Icky" sent home to Williston along with their stock pen which I replaced with a wooden deck for the punks to stand on. I had just enough time to get them laid down and sat up before we went out on the '95 tour. Most importantly though, we no longer needed the transport wagon since "Romeo" and "Juliet" would now march to the train with their adopted mothers "Siam" and "Calcutta" and see what the world contained beside themselves." //Buckles Woodcock

"They're very, very cute," he said. "Romeo is a very mischievous elephant. He's like a little boy should be. Juliette -- she's a little more timid, a little bit shy."
"They're very, very cute animals. Miniature elephants -- little tiny trunks, tiny tails. . . . They don't have to do anything. All they have to do is just walk around," he said." //Graham Thomas Chipperfield

Current Location
18 year old Romeo now resides at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's Center for Elephant Conservation, the largest elephant breeding facility in North America. He sired his first calf at age nine in 2003 and his second in April 2006. Ricardo and Mable, both born to mother Shirley, were full F2 generation, implying both their parents were born in captivity. 18 year old Juliette is currently touring as one of the nine elephants with Ringling's Blue Unit.

For Additional Information
>> "2 Performers Die as Ringling Circus Train Derails," NYTimes.com, 01/14/1994

>> "He's the leader of the pachyderms," BaltimoreSun.com, 03/22/1995

>> "RBBB Blue Unit 1994 #1," Buckles Web Log, 07/08/2006

>> "Epilogue/ RBBB Blue Show 1995," Buckles Web Log, 07/08/2006

>> "Petely (Pete)" at Elephant.se

>> "Icky II" at Elephant.se

>> "Alana" at Elephant.se

>> "Juliet (Juliette)" at Elephant.se

>> "Romeo" at Elephant.se

Zoo de Vincennes

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

John Romo Collection - Gladys Porter Zoo

John Romo has graciously allowed ShowMe Elephants to share some of his many photographs documenting elephants in captivity around the world. The first set of pictures were taken at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, about June 1983.

Macho, Gladys Porter Zoo, summer 1983
Courtesy of J Romo

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

Lowry Park Zoo 1992

The following photographs were taken in summer 1992 at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida. At the time, the facility exhibited two female Asian elephants, Tillie and Minyak.

Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, Florida 1992
Photo © M Easley

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

The Father's Photographs - Rio Grande Zoo

The following pictures were taken in April 1994 at the Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At the time indicated, three elephants resided at the zoo - 20 year old year old Asian elephant Alice, her year and a half old daughter Rozie and 32 year old African elephant Tia.

Photo 1, Rio Grande Zoo
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

Erie Zoo - Tom Boy

Wayne Jackson recently submitted a photo to ShowMe Elephants looking to identify the animal and facility. With the help of former Erie Zoo elephant keeper Kris Hopkins, the photo was identified as Shani of the Erie Zoo. A multiple part series featuring the elephant history of the Erie Zoo will begin, with many animals needing further information to complete their stories.

>> "Erie Zoo" at ShowMe Elephants

According to Erie Zoo spokesman Scott Mitchell, former Erie radio personality Barry Grossman once made the profound observation, "Erie people often identify their generation by the elephant at the zoo at the time they were growing up."

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