Explanation on Elephant Orphanage

Got this email....... G’day Buckles, Photos 1, 3 and 4 on your Sunday web log, I took at the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawela, Sri Lanka back in Nov. ’84. The others I took at the Colombo Zoo. The Colombo Zoo was originally built by the Hagenbeck’s back in the late 1800’s as was five other zoos around the world including of course their home zoo in Hamburg, Germany. You’re quite right about the size of the ring curb, but it came in handy working up to seven elephants! The photo of the Dwarf elephant was one of my favourite Elephants I have come across! The attached document is a paper I started to write about her, but am still trying to find out when and why she died? I remember telling Smokey it would be quite something to have a five act of these Dwarfs! The bull with the long tusks is an African Forest bull, he was imported along with a Savannah cow by Fred Zeehandler, most likely for Sri Lankan elephants. Babar died in the early ‘90’s of a tusk infection after tripping one day and breaking one tusk off to the gum. Still trying to find out when it happened and when he died, I have been working with a friend in Belgium to put a paper together on Captive Forest Elephants. The female was a real bad ass and tried on a number of occasions to injure or kill the Mahouts! She was eventually swapped for two young African elephants and headed back to Africa with Randal Moore, she died a few years ago! Have you had a chance to go through my Elephants of the World CD that I left with Scot Riddle to pass onto you? If you’d like, use any photo on your web log! Any questions about the 4,000 photos and postcards, just ask away! I still remember the time back in Dec. ’85 when I was the second back up to you and Rex to get Janet back on the picked line! I still remember Barbara telling you to send me in first because since I worked in a zoo, I would have good medical coverage! I am currently putting together a CD of only Circus photos and postcards, would you mind checking out some I can’t identify and of course I was planning to send you a copy when it is finally complete sometime this year! Keep up the great work! See you Down the Road! Happy Days Wayne The Semi-retired Wanderin Elephant Man