Eugenia Sheppard Mrs. Vincent Astor aboard one of the Bronx Zoo elephants which have received a $6.5 million grant from her late husband's foundation. "I'm animal crazy. I'm practically an animal myself," says Mrs. Vincent (Brooke) Astor. This year she is specializing in elephants, for whose comfort the Astor Foundation, set up by her late husband, has just given a grant of $6.5 million to the Bronx Zoo. "It happened this way", Brooke Astor says. "Forty of the zoo's 260 acres are across the Bronx River, and a few years ago the city began looking covetously at them for building more high-rise developments. "It is a beautifully wooded piece of property. We began thinking what we could do with it and Bill Conway, the zoo's director, came up with the idea of reproducing the plains of Southeast Asia".
'Thirty five years later the Bronx Zoo is disbanding their elephant program because the Astors gift of $6.5 million was inadequate.'
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In October 1973, the New York Bronx Zoo imported from India 1.3 elephants - Groucho, Maxine, Patti and Laverne/Vashi. These four joined Asian females Cutie and Dolly, both of whom died the same date in September 1976. Six days later, 23 year old Tuss/Debbie arrived from a Rex Williams/Catskill Game Farm connection. Lastly, in March 1977, two young females were acquired from Lion Country Safari in Florida.
Of all these animals (with an African in between) and a now-learned $6.5 million grant, only one birth originated, a male born to Patti in August 1981. He died at 16 months of age, retroactively diagnosed as Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus. Groucho was later sold to begin the Fort Worth Zoo's elephant breeding program in April 1986.
Radar,
Rex had a "Tuss/Tusser" on Vargas in 1981 also. Two elephants dying on the same date, in the same institution is indeed odd. When some folks were ruing the disbanding of the Bronx elephant program, I suggested it might not be such a bad thing. That met with some not so pleasant comments. :) I think when you study something, instead of reacting you come out better informed.
Wade
Wade,
Your comments about another Tus intrigue me. Here is what the Studbook lists for the Bronx's Tus:
Tus, SB 169
~1953 - Birth, India
06/15/1956 - Jacksonville Zoo, Florida
06/148/1976 - Rex Williams
06/19/1976 - Catskill Game Farm, New York
09/27/1976 - Bronx Zoo, New York
05/16/2002 - Death
Here is the Studbook's version of Rex Williams, the one of whom you speak and named on Buckles as 'Hard Times,' which dropped dead of a heart attack on the picket line.
Toose, SB T2022
~1963 - Birth
??? - Rex Williams
??? - Circus Vargas
09/02/1981 - Death
Note the death date of September 2; Bob Cline has recorded it was September 3.
Don Marck's elephant census published in the Circus Report lists 13 elephants with Circus Vargas - Minnie, Colonel, Lottie, Shirley, Judy, Hattie, Trixie, Koora, Dutchess, Sita, Muna, Dinnu and Jack. Rex Williams has four elephants listed - Reed No. 2, Gardner, "Name not known" and Ava. Lastly, the Bronx Zoo has three listed - Gyp (sold to Circus Vargas), Kate and Betty.
What the hell is going on here??
Radar,
Sita, Muna, Dinnu were Larry Rucker's elephants from Carden and Johnson Circus. I don't recall a "Jack" and Gyp came from Buckles Woodcock in a trade. What year was the Circus Report census? I don't see Tusko or Booper?
Wade
The Census was dated 1978. None of the elephants listed in the census at Bronx are listed in the Studbook there. I would like to add it also gives 'Debbie' as an additional name for 'Tus.'
Radar,
Jesus!!!! Do you suppose this is all an intended test, similar to a lab rat in a maze, to see how long folks will stay with it before they start eating their fingers, or dashing their heads on the wall? :)
Wade
I have Gyp, Betty and Kate all on Circus Vargas in 1978.
This Gyp didn't come from the Bronx Zoo however. This is Rex Williams elephant that he has owned since 1974. Gyp was still on Vargas through 1995 when she went to the Hawthorn Corp.
Betty was also called Betty Boop which later was Booper. She stayed on Vargas through 1991 when she went to Scott Riddle.
Kate stayed on Vargas at least until 1988 when I lost track of her.
Bob
Sita, Muna and Dinnu were all Hunt Bros. / Circus Bartok elephants before going to Carden and Johnson.
Bob
Bob,
When did Sita, Muna and Dinnu go to Vargas?
Wade
Late 1976 or early 1977. They were only on Vargas for the 1977 tour if I have recorded them correctly. I heard they were all sold to a Mexican Circus but I never knew which one.
Bob
Ok folks, the Bartok/Rucker/Hunt/Vargas/Mexico elephants (whatever we want to call them) are updated at Elephant.se. Wade and I have resumed the conversation where it originally began last April. We need your help, Bob, regarding this Suesz/Carden/Johnson baloney. Please? :)
http://circusnospin.blogspot.com/2011/04/jungleland-available-for-purchase.html
Radar,
Come on, get with it!!! They were Hunt before Rucker. Hunt/Rucker/Vargas......
Wade
[As said like the ringmaster in Dumbo]
"I've got it! I've got it!"
From Circus Report No 20 p 5, 05/23/1978:
"Delivery of a new baby elephant has been taken by the [Vargas] circus, but in the meantime 3 elephants, a camel and a truck were sold to Mexico's Circo Union."
From a conversation with Darlene Williams:
"My dad worked at the Bronx zoo training the elephants there in 74 or 75. I do also remember him having a really tall and 8500 female who he may have also called Tus. She was not the same Tuss that died on Vargas from the parasite. Unfortunately for you my dad had a habit of renaming elephants with names he liked ie: Reid, tuss, McClain."
Radar,
Very good work. Corresponding with the beautiful Darlene Williams, must have been a real chore for you. I am assuming here.
People place way to much stock in an animals name, mainly because people all have names given at birth. If you recall, long ago I suggested issuing animals a number, which they kept through their life, as well as a name. It would sure make keeping track of them simpler. Unless an animal is a dumb as a bag of hammer's they will respond to a new name in all of about 15 mins. It's as simple as calling to Fluffy, "come here, Bootsy" and when Fluffy/Bootsy come's to you, giving him a reward, either food or a gentle stroke. Two or three times of asking Fluffy to "come here, Bootsy" and the name change is complete. Folks today, who are trying to tell an animal trainer how to conduct his craft suggest that all the different names show a cold, impartial, indifferent feeling toward the animal, illustrating once again how little they actually know about what they profess to be experts at. They for the most part have one, maybe two dog's their whole lives. A dog trainer/breeder may have anywhere from 100, 200, 300 or more. I have had a number of tiger Kings, Princes, Rajah, and Sultans. A few born with the name, others given the name when their training started. I have had 9 equine Samurais and 5 Monarchs, and I intend to have a few more.
Last week to illustrate to my men, who were worried that the month old Jaguar didn't have a name yet, I changed Kaliff's name 5 times in a one hour training session. Once to Jose, which they thought was hysterical, given my refusal to name a majestic, noble animal with a simple, inadequate human name. :)
Wade
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