Buckles, just how old was Jumbo when he died? Was he a tough male or not? His ivory looks like he rubbed them off or did they cut them short? Just wondering? Thanks, Gary
Seems to me that Jumbo was listed as being 11' 2" at the shoulder and in recent times Scott Riddle, Mike Hackenberger and Bret Bronson have handled big male African elephants that might exceed that height. By the way, the easiest way to figure an elephant's height is to measure twice around it's front foot and you will be accurate within an inch or so. I never heard of Jumbo causing any trouble.
Two of my prize collections of elephant oddities are the Tarzan the Ape Man, and Tarzan His Mate movies. What herd was that with the fake African ears? Maureen O’Sullivan is clearly all bruised, and what a babe! I keep my Tarzan His Mate video cued up to the under water scene.
The Al G. Barnes Circus wintered in Baldwin Park, Calif. and supplied the elephants for the Tarzan movies as well as many others. Many years later I saw Johnny Weismuller being interviewed on TV and who said that after having made his first screen test he was sitting in a darkened projection room while the brass were being ushered in to see the results. Half way thru the test someone said, "Where in the Hell did you find this character? He can't act at all!". Weismuller said he was so humiliated he tried to sneak out in the darkness but half way down the aisle he heard "And as if that isn't bad enough the clumsy son of a bitch just stepped on my foot!". He was amazed when he got a call the next day that he got the part.
I read a book recently about Jumbo,so perhaps I can help answer this question. Jumbo was thought to be about 24 years old when he was killed by the train in St. Thomas Ontario Canada in September 15th 1885. Examination of his teeth though suggest he may have been between 24 and 28 years old. (Jumbo was caught as a calf in Africa around 1861 so no one knows for sure,there is even a question as to where he was captured.To me Jumbo looks like a Desert elephant of Namibia(the tallest sub-species of elephant on earth,which an adult bull can reach 14 feet at the shoulder).
About those old Tarzan movies,which I believe were produced by MGM. Those really clear lakes they swam in were actually Springs in Florida. Wakulla Springs near Tallhassee and Silver Springs I believe. (The Creature of the Black Lagoon also filmed there)
Also,reportly Jumbo use to smash his head against his steel bar enclose at the London zoo,which frequently brike his ivory. It became in0grown so they even had to lance the skin because it became infected with a huge pus ball.Jumbo had been in a lot of pain.
There is one anomymous who seems to get their info from books. Who writes these books? A/R? Most of these books are writen by people who were fired from circuses and zoos, not by someone still working with animals. Their way of getting back for their own nontalent. Not real lovers of animals with common sense. Almost all of the news stories about animals are people who once worked in the business 20 years ago and haven;t a clue about careing for animals.. The really damaging stories are written by wierd people who have a grudge and make money off the public and then don't spend it careing for animals. Ever meet a rich animal lover? JC not counting.
8 comments:
Buckles, just how old was Jumbo when he died? Was he a tough male or not? His ivory looks like he rubbed them off or did they cut them short? Just wondering? Thanks, Gary
Seems to me that Jumbo was listed as being 11' 2" at the shoulder and in recent times Scott Riddle, Mike Hackenberger and Bret Bronson have handled big male African elephants that might exceed that height.
By the way, the easiest way to figure an elephant's height is to measure twice around it's front foot and you will be accurate within an inch or so. I never heard of Jumbo causing any trouble.
Two of my prize collections of elephant oddities are the Tarzan the Ape Man, and Tarzan His Mate movies. What herd was that with the fake African ears? Maureen O’Sullivan is clearly all bruised, and what a babe! I keep my Tarzan His Mate video cued up to the under water scene.
The Al G. Barnes Circus wintered in Baldwin Park, Calif. and supplied the elephants for the Tarzan movies as well as many others.
Many years later I saw Johnny Weismuller being interviewed on TV and who said that after having made his first screen test he was sitting in a darkened projection room while the brass were being ushered in to see the results.
Half way thru the test someone said, "Where in the Hell did you find this character? He can't act at all!". Weismuller said he was so humiliated he tried to sneak out in the darkness but half way down the aisle he heard "And as if that isn't bad enough the clumsy son of a bitch just stepped on my foot!".
He was amazed when he got a call the next day that he got the part.
I read a book recently about Jumbo,so perhaps I can help answer this question.
Jumbo was thought to be about
24 years old when he was killed by the train in St. Thomas Ontario
Canada in September 15th 1885.
Examination of his teeth though
suggest he may have been between 24 and 28 years old.
(Jumbo was caught as a calf in Africa around 1861 so no one knows for sure,there is even a question as to where he was captured.To me Jumbo looks like a Desert elephant of Namibia(the tallest sub-species of elephant on earth,which an adult bull can reach 14 feet at the shoulder).
About those old Tarzan movies,which I believe were produced by MGM.
Those really clear lakes they swam in were actually Springs in Florida.
Wakulla Springs near Tallhassee and Silver Springs I believe.
(The Creature of the Black Lagoon also filmed there)
Also,reportly Jumbo use to smash his head against his steel bar enclose at the London zoo,which frequently brike his ivory.
It became in0grown so they even had to lance the skin because it became infected with a huge pus ball.Jumbo had been in a lot of pain.
There is one anomymous who seems to get their info from books. Who writes these books? A/R? Most of these books are writen by people who were fired from circuses and zoos, not by someone still working with animals. Their way of getting back for their own nontalent. Not real lovers of animals with common sense. Almost all of the news stories about animals are people who once worked in the business 20 years ago and haven;t a clue about careing for animals.. The really damaging stories are written by wierd people who have a grudge and make money off the public and then don't spend it careing for animals. Ever meet a rich animal lover? JC not counting.
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