Buckles Blog: Elephant rides in zoos

Monday, September 24, 2007

SAVE1879, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

To quote Cole Porter, "Birds do it! Bees do it!..............." even Smokey Jones did it.

Anonymous said...: Wish I had a photo to scan to enter a St. Louis Zoo legend, Miss Jim. She was purchased from Wm. Hall in 1916. Her originial name was "Judy", the "Jim" was for the President of the School Board, James Harper. "Miss Jim" was purchased with funds collected by school children (mainly pennies). As a thank you, "Miss Jim" gave rides daily for an hour in the afternoon. In the days before lawyers, they just tossed a carpet on her back and piled the kiddies on. She died in Oct. 1948; the rides had stopped a few years before.; 24 September, 2007 07:27
Anonymous said...: The elephant ride was ever so popular at the Peoria, IL Glen Oak Zoo when Joe Frisco was there. Of course, every thing he did there was popular and fun!! That was the best time that our zoo ever saw. What a class act!!
We are in the middle of a mega bucks revamp of the Zoo to make it more natural.
Robin; 24 September, 2007 11:18
Anonymous said...: From Eric:

In the 1940s, Offical Films put out a 1-reel short for the home movie market called "Zoo Who" that was filmed at the St. Louis Zoo. At the beginning, there is shot of an elephant giving rides. The narration mentions that she was "purchased with the pennies of school children," so it must be Miss Jim. This short also has footage taken during the performing elephants show.; 24 September, 2007 21:05

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