Studbook Mysteries - Firma Ruhe I

The large animal trade company Firma Ruhe was founded in Germany by Ludwig (Louie) Ruhe in 1880. After a large increase in business following Carl Hagenbeck's construction of a new zoo, Ruhe would go on to expand with three generations of his family operating animal trading posts worldwide. Offices in London and the Ruhe Animal Farm in New York helped to supply hundreds of elephants to zoos and circuses in Europe and America.

This location is listed in the North American Regional Studbook for the Asian Elephant simply as 'L RUHE.' The address is described in Alfeld/leine, Germany. There is no differentiation between the three offices of Ruhe, possibly leading to confusion and inaccuracies regarding elephant locations.

One source names the New York location as Louis Ruhe Wild Animal Farm in Woodside, Long Island.

Mary and Mona
There are several lapses of information in the North American Regional Studbook regarding Mary and Mona, but it is apparent the pair of female Asian elephants resided together from birth in the early 1940s until their deaths in 1975.

Born in Sri Lanka between 1941-1942, Mary and Mona arrived together to the Detroit Zoo in July 1947. They resided at the zoo in Michigan for an unknown period of time before the Studbook states they were transferred to the animal trade company Firma Ruhe in Germany. However, the company operated two local offices, one in London and a second in New York, where the animals may have been transported as opposed to overseas.

In October 1974, 27 years after arriving in Detroit, the pair of elephants arrived again at a location in Michigan - King Animaland Park in Richmond. This park, operated by circus owner Walt King, covered 40 acres and held animals and amusements in springtime that King leased out to shows for the fall and winter. The Studbook states Mary and Mona resided at the park located north of Detroit until their deaths the following year, approximately seven months later.

Mary and Mona at the Detroit Zoo - Zoo Guide 1940s
Photo Courtesy of AsianElephant.net

Penny
A female Asian elephant born in Burma in 1938, Penny was imported to the Fort Worth Zoo in August 1940. For an unknown period of time, the animal resided at the zoo in Texas until the North American Regional Studbook for the Asian Elephant states she was transferred to Firma Ruhe. The documentation never gives an arrival back to Fort Worth, but lists the 23 year old elephant’s death at her premier institution in August 1961.

According to a news article published in 2009 commemorating the Fort Worth Zoo’s 100 year anniversary, Penny was purchased as a second elephant through money collected as donations from zoo visitors.

Records
Mary, Asian Female, SB 577
1941 - Birth, Sri Lanka
24 Jul 1947 - Detroit Zoo (Belle Isle), Belle Isle, Michigan
??? - L RUHE
22 Oct 1974 - King Animaland Park, Richmond, Michigan
~Apr 1975 - Death, King Animaland Park, Richmond, Michigan

Mona, Asian Female, SB 578
1941 - Birth, Sri Lanka
24 Jul 1947 - Detroit Zoo (Belle Isle), Belle Isle, Michigan
??? - L RUHE
22 Oct 1974 - King Animaland Park, Richmond, Michigan
~Apr 1975 - Death, King Animaland Park, Richmond, Michigan

Penny, Asian Female, SB 574
~Apr 1938 - Birth, Burma
14 Aug 1940 - Fort Worth Zoo, Fort Worth, Texas
??? - L RUHE
12 Aug 1961 - Death, Fort Worth Zoo, Fort Worth, Texas

For Additional Information
>> Firma Ruhe (Tierhandelsfirma Ruhe) at Elephant.se

>> "The Animals and Their Trainers," Geostan.ca

>> "Bring 'Em Back Alive," Time.com, 03/25/1946

>> "King's Animaland Park," Circus Report, CircusHistory.org, 02/23/1976

>> "Fort Worth Zoo celebrates 100 years of wild history," WorldZooToday.com, 08/10/2009

>> "Elephants of the Detroit Zoo" at ZooChat

>> "Elephants of King Animaland Park" at ZooChat

>> "Elephants of the Fort Worth Zoo" at ZooChat

UPDATED 04/18/2011, "Studbook Mysteries - Belle Isle Zoo" at ShowMe Elephants

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.

Henry Vilas Zoo 1981

Wayne Jackson, the retired "Wanderin' Elephant Man," recently shared this picture taken at then Henry Vilas Zoo in 1981. He inquired what became of these young elephants.

Recent Updates at Elephant.se

Zoo Plaisance once again exhibits elephants, acquiring two adolescent African elephants on January 3 from another French facility, Zoo de la Fleche. The half brothers, Pembe and Akili, were born in 2001 and 2002 to mothers Bahati and Norris, respectively, at Ramat Gan. Two months following their transfer out, la Fleche replaced the two African males with two more. Both of the 6 year old animals arrived on March 14 from Hodenhagen Serengeti Park in Germany, Boten (captive born at Ramat Gan in Israel) and Bou-Bou (captive born at Hodenhagen).

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

Your Author

Ryan Easley and 'Jana'
29 year old African female elephant
Knoxville Zoo
Knoxville, Tennessee
November 2009

Rather than adding a new post regarding elephant history or current elephant news, I would like to bring attention to an article posted earlier this week regarding Circus Chipperfield's elephant herd from the late-1940s to mid-1960s. The post has now gathered more than 20 comments and has uncovered a lot of information regarding the 29 elephants originally imported from Sri Lanka. Locations in Russia, Ireland, Borneo and the United States are discussed with input from readers in South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. ShowMe Elephants, indeed!

>> http://showmeelephants.blogspot.com/2011/06/jim-stockley-collection-chipperfields_12.html

Albuquerque BioPark - Daizy

The Albuquerque Zoo in New Mexico is celebrating the second birthday of their second elephant calf, Daizy, in several days. Her birth was celebrated by residents of New Mexico in September 2009 as the second elephant birth in the state's history - the first being her mother's birth in 1992.

"The ABQ BioPark's youngest Asian elephant, Daizy, turns two on September 2, 2011."
Courtesy of ABQ BioPark on Facebook

Vincent Manero Collection - Cirque Medrano

Hey Ryan,

I don't know much about the Chipperfield's Elephants history. The only ones I know are Kamala, Lechmee and Meena that are actually on the road with the French Cirque Medrano. These three went to the States to join RBBB with Graham Thomas Chipperfield. They did a teeterboard act.

See you somewhere down the road!
Vince

Cirque Medrano, 2008
Courtesy of V Manero