Who owned the elephant Matteau, pictured above before she went to Tote-Em-in-Zoo?
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Tote-Em-In-Zoo--Carolina Beach, North Carolina
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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A Blog designed for discussion of topics related to, but not limited to, Circus, Zoos, Animal Training, and Animal Welfare/Husbandry. Sometimes opening up the dialog is the best starting point of all. And if for nothing else when people who agree and don't agree, get together and start discussing it, it will open up a lot of peoples minds. Debate and discussion even amongst themselves opens a window where there wasn't one before.
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6 comments:
Wade,
The Studbook lists Matteau with a "Temporary Studbook Number," as a male, and arriving on December 23, 1966.
To answer your question: I do not know.
Ryan,
"He" sure doesn't look like a male?
Wade
I used to go see this elephant as a boy. And my father and George (the owner) were friends and traded frequently. He gave us some emu eggs to hatch once among other things. Apparently it was good with children and (from what I remember) it was a she. My father said she had an interesting history and was even part of a circus. Some articles I read confirmed this and said that George got her from a zoo in Savannah Georgia on a trade for some Ostriches (another article just says four large birds) the former owner couldn't afford to keep her as she ate quite a lot. She apparently liked watermelons. Thank you for the picture. George was a good man and always treated me kindly as a child.
Craig,
Thank you for sharing that information with us.
Wade Burck
I have found the news articles referenced by Craig. One states she was originally named "Matu" and performed with the Clyde Beatty Circus. It also states she has lived in Sarasota & Callahan, Florida and Savannah, Georgia. She was 55 years when George Tregembo acquired her.
*Perhaps* this elephant was Hugo Schmitt's Mudu / Mutu. Bob Cline has a note in his records that she was sold to Busch Gardens in 1958, but Buckles has said their first elephant was Sally, acquired from the Beatty show in 1961.
Radar,
Nice followup. Thank you. That is how you investigate and get to the bottom of something.
I hope all is well, be safe.
Wade
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