A couple of weeks ago I posted the picture above, and suggested it looked like a Gibbs Zebra. Paul McCarthy suggested there was no such thing as a Gibbs Zebra, and that I was hanging false paper for a friend. There is nothing I hate worse then my integrity being called into question, and explained to Paul that they were a rare subspecies that had been sighted in Oklahoma, Paris Texas, and as far south as the Texas/Mexico border during migration. 
Paul still scoffed so I went to the effort to contact Oxford University where Sir Robert Gibbs was a fellow before his untimely death, and where the Gibbs Paper's and Archives are kept. I asked if they could send me a couple of pictures. They kindly filled my request and sent the picture above of Equus burchellii bobbilini gibbsoni and the picture below of Sir Gibbs the day he was presented with the first doll in Mattel's GREAT ZOOLOGISTS AND EXPLORERS OF THE 20th CENTURY set.
They also sent this bio:
Sir Robert Gibbs was North America's most famous, as well as loved Explorer, Naturalist, Zoologist, Animal Trainer and worlds leading Egyptologist, specializing in royal garments of the Imhotep and Thutmos III era.
Sir Robert Gibbs is probably most famous for his discovery and the first subjugation of the rare Gibbs Zebra(Equus burchellii bobbilini gibbsoni), named after him. It became more commonly known as the "Siberian Zebra", when Sir Robert first noted and described the "shedding" characteristic exclusive to only the Gibbs Zebra. Sir Robert had arrived at Rochester late and it was cold and he could prepare the zebras properly. He decided to do the first show, and prepare them later. After the first show the circus chairman cam down to the stable and asks angrily, "what's going on? I booked a zebra act, not white mules." Sir Robert responded, "haven't you ever seen Siberian Zebras before? They shed their stripes in the winter, so they blend into the snow, so the Polar Bears don't eat them!!!!"
So there, are you happy now Paul?
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Equus burchellii bobbilini gibbsoni--The Gibbs Zebra or more commonly known as the Siberian Zebra.
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
4 comments:
The world needs more people like Sir Robert!!
The ICUN would probably consider the Gibbs zebra to now be extinct -- we will never see their kind again. Among other unique characteristics was their variable stripe pattern from date to date, bigger dates often showing a more complete pattern. Quite a guy, that Sir Robert.
Would that photo with the elephant and all be Gene Gardner with a few animal left of the Hawthorn Animal Fantasy?
Jim,
The ICUN can consider all they want, I say it isn't so!!!! "variable stripe pattern?" That sound's like one of those lumen deals. Yes, the photo of Gene is with the remnants of the Hawthorn Wild Animal Fantasy, although the zebra, which was a Grants had died, and the Mexican's in an effort to illustrate their animal training superiority chose to use the much more difficult Gibbs Zebra as a replacement, instead of the gentler Grants. When John Cuneo was asked a couple of years ago "were those really white wolves in that act, or were they dog's," he replied indignantly and in no uncertain terms, "of course they were wolves, that is what made the act unique." That fact established, "of course it is a zebra, that is what made the act unique!!!!"
Wade
What a great job of explaining the SIBERIAN ZEBRA Wade. Jim A is right about the bigger the date they seemed to have more stripes. Just like the ladies on the shows the bigger dates got more of the flash !!!
Post a Comment