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

Studbook Mysteries - Belle Isle Zoo

This article is an update to "Studbook Mysteries - Firma Ruhe I," posted on February 23, 2011 regarding Detroit elephants Mary and Mona.
>> "Studbook Mysteries - Firma Ruhe I" at ShowMe Elephants

History
The Detroit Zoological Society was founded in 1911, 28 years after the first zoo in Detroit began based on a bankrupt circus. Their first zoo opened 17 years later in 1928. This institution was located on Belle Isle on the Detroit River. Through several name and purpose changes, it permanently closed in 2004. According to the Detroit Zoo, it was the Motor City's only zoo until 1947, upon which time it was converted to a Children's Zoo and its replacement was built in Royal Oak, a suburb of the largest city in Michigan. During this transition, the majority of the wild animals were moved to the secondary location, though some elephants and giraffes were reported to have remained. It is unknown which elephants resided at which location during the several decade period that both locations kept animals. Other sources state the zoo was transferred in 1956, prompting the transition of Belle Isle to a Children's Zoo.

"Belle Isle was Detroit's first zoo, a menagerie. In the modern era it was an aquarium and children's zoo. I believe it was managed by the Detroit Zoo. Probably had baby elephants at Belle Isle and moved them to the Zoo in Royal Oak as they grew up if they didn't get moved elsewhere sooner." //Jim Alexander

Studbook Entry
The North American Regional Studbook only lists a single elephant residing at Belle Isle, a male named Johnny with a Temporary Studbook Number, Lost to Follow-up and little information provided. All other Detroit-located elephants are listed as the Detroit Zoo with no differentiation made between Royal Oak or Belle Isle.

Former elephant house in the 1940s
Photo Courtesy of AsianElephant.net

Mary and Mona
Mary and Mona, two elephants mentioned previously in the Firma Ruhe Studbook Mysteries article, arrived at the Belle Isle Detroit Zoo in July 1947. It is unknown when they were relocated to Ruhe, thus also unknown whether they were in Detroit's ownership during the 1956 zoo relocation.

Suki
According to information provided by Jim Alexander and Wade Burck, the young female Asian elephant Suki was only located at the Belle Isle Children's Zoo before she was sold to private owners Paul and Dorothy Kelly in 1969. This is one confirmed needed correction for studbook records, in addition to Mary and Mona's arrival to the Belle Isle-located Detroit Zoo in 1947, rather than the Royal Oak location. This discovery is referenced on Wade Burck's "Circus No-Spin Zone."
>> "Ghost Zoo - Belle Isle Zoo Elephant (1)," Circus No-Spin Zone, 04/04/2011
>> "Ghost Zoo - Belle Isle Zoo Elephant (2)," Circus No-Spin Zone, 04/04/2011

Suki now resides at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington.
>> "Point Defiance Zoo I" at ShowMe Elephants

Mystery Elephant Photo
A mystery photo has been found in the Detroit News collection. It is only titled "Belle Isle Children's Zoo;" the date and elephant's identity are unknown.

Mystery Elephant Photo - Belle Isle Zoo
Photo Courtesy of dlxs.lib.wayne.edu

Records
Johnny, Asian Male, SB T2196
1941 - Birth, Asia
~1942 - Detroit Zoo (Belle Isle), Belle Isle, Michigan
- Lost to Follow-Up

For Additional Information
>> "Detroit Zoo (Belle Isle) / Belle Isle Children's Zoo" at Elephant.se

>> "Belle Isle Zoo" at AsianElephant.net

>> "Belle Isle Zoo" at ZooChat.com

>> "Detroit Zoo Looks Back on 80 Years of History," Detroit Zoo.org, 07/23/2008

>> "Where the Wild Things Aren't," Sweet-Juniper.com, 01/25/2009

>> "Belle Isle Zoo" at DetroitFunk.com

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

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

Point Defiance Zoo I

The Port Defiance Zoo describes themselves as a "national leader in handling elephants considered too dangerous to be kept and trained using traditional methods." They acquired Hanako in December 1997 from the Portland Zoo because of her "unpredictable and moody" disposition. There she joined Suki and Cindy. Suki had arrived in March 1996 from Dickerson Park Zoo after she slammed a keeper against a wall. Cindy was the zoo's first "troubled" elephant, arriving in February 1992 with a history of grabbing and biting people. In August 2005, Bamboo arrived from the Woodland Park Zoo after being unable to cohabitate with the younger elephants and calf. However, she was unable to be integrated into the group and was returned to her previous home ten months later.

Cindy
Cindy was first imported to the Port Defiance Zoo in 1964 at three years old. The 18 year old elephant was transferred in December 1982 to the San Diego to be bred with the Wild Animal Park's bull elephant, Ranchipur. After attacking a keeper at the park in 1989 she was temporarily relocated to the Portland Zoo before she could reg ressto Washington. Upon her return in 1992, the Tacoma zoo had built a $2.3 million new elephant barn and habitat. They also established a protected contact management program to accommodate her.

Following her death in November 2002, controversy surrounded the disposal of the 40 old elephant after she was buried at a local landfill rather than cremating the 8000 pound animal as planned. In February 2003, the Point Defiance rededicated the elephant barn in her memory.

Hanako
Hanako was the fourth elephant born at Washington Park Zoo, nine days after her half-brother Dino. Breeding bull Thonglaw sired the first calf for dam Tuy Hoa.

By the time she was 19, Hanako had given birth to four calves, though only Sabu lived longer than two months. She spent the first 34 years of her life at the zoo where she was born, sans a 16 month breeding loan to the Los Angeles Zoo with half-sister Me-Tu. Both elephants were bred by their half-brother Packy (all three elephants sired by Thonglaw). Two months before their return, Me-Tu gave birth. One month after their return, Hanako gave birth to a calf as well.

Hanako at the Portland Zoo, August 1994
Photo Courtesy of M Easley

Records
Cindy, Female Asian, SB 212
1962 - Birth, India
~1964 - Point Defiance Zoo, Tacoma, Washington
15 Dec 1982 - San Diego Wild Animal Park, Escondido, California
28 Nov 1989 - Portland Zoo, Portland, Oregon
19 Feb 1992 - Point Defiance Zoo, Tacoma, Washington
19 Nov 2002 - Death, Point Defiance Zoo, Tacoma, Washington

Hanako, Female Asian, SB 51
24 Sep 1963 - Birth, Portland Zoo, Portland, Oregon
28 Oct 1974 - Los Angeles Zoo, Los Angeles, California
11 Feb 1976 - Portland Zoo, Portland, Oregon
09 Dec 1997 - Point Defiance Zoo, Tacoma, Washington

For Additional Information:
>> "Dangerous Elephant To Get Bigger Quarters," Elephant-News.com, 11/25/1982

>> "Popular Elephant's Carcass Dumped With The Garbage," KomoNews.com, 11/26/2002

>> "Zoo to rededicate elephant barn in Cindy’s memory," PDZA.org, 02/11/2003

>> "Defiant attitude better suited for Pt. Defiance," SeattleTimes.nwsource.com, 08/12/2005

>> "Elephants of the Point Defiance Zoo" at ZooChat

(To Be Continued...)

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

Colchester Zoo - Moto and Toto

IN THE 70S IN SOUTH ENGLAND I HAD THE JOB OF PICKING UP TWO FULL GROWN ELEPHANTS UP, CALLED MOTO AND TOTO FROM COLCHESTER ZOO ? NORTH ENGLAND, AND I HAD TO TAKE THEM BACK TO THE ZOO IN MARGATE KENT, WHO HAD PURCHASED THEM, ANY REFERENCE TO THIS PAIR OF ELEPHANTS. //X CHIPPERFIELDS ELEPHANT KEEPER, PETER

From "The Colchester Express," 1967
Courtesy of Gorotex / ZooChat.com

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

Little Rock Zoo - New Arrivals

The Little Rock Zoo acquired yesterday two additional elephants from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus' Center for Elephant Conservation.

"Zina (front) and Jewel in their new Little Rock home"
Courtesy of ArkTimes.com

The Father's Photographs - Kyoto City Zoo

The following photographs were taken in February 1995 at the Kyoto Municipal Zoo. Pictured are two Asian elephants, one with long, thin ivory. Referencing the online elephant databases of Dan Koehl and Jonas Livet and the zoo's own website, two female Asian elephants resided at the zoo during the time period indicated. 24 year old Mito arrived in 1979 and 15 year old Tomo arrived the following year. Only Mito remains at the zoo; Tomo died in April 2001.

Photo 1, Kyoto Zoo, February 1995
Courtesy of M Easley

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.

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

Highland Park Zoo - Part I

The Pittsburgh Zoo has a long history of housing and exhibiting Asian elephants prior to their currently successful African elephant breeding program. Unfortunately, very little of this history is recorded in the North American Regional Studbook for the Asian Elephant. Referencing archived news records of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and others, more insight can be found regarding the Highland Park Zoo's early elephant history.

Franklin Park Zoo - Beba / Mary, Part II

The story of Beba was unfolded with the purchase of numerous local news articles from the Boston area between 1948 to 1960.
>> www.showmeelephants.com/2011/06/franklin-park-zoo-beba.html

Courtesy of Daily Boston Globe 07/1948

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.

Ark in the Park by Mark Rosenthal

"I have recommended the book in the past, for all you folks who love zoo history and Lincoln Park as I do, and bring to your attention that it normally sells for 49.95 hardcover but there are currently 5 available at Amazon for 39.89. It is one of the best books available on the history of an American Zoological Institution and along with our friend Gary Clarke Director Emeritus of the Topeka Zoo's book "Hey Mister, Your Alligator is Loose," I promise you zoo buffs don't have a complete library without these two publications." //Wade Burck

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

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

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

Giza Zoological Garden

From Peter Stolk:

Received this answer from Cairo:

"We still have one Asian Elephant "Karema".
She is 45 years old and came to Giza Zoo in 1967.
And "Naeema" the African Elephant.
She is 31 years old, came in 1983."

Another mail about former elephants is send!

Zoo Map, Giza Zoological Garden
Courtesy of GizaZoo-eg.com