Alexander Fairgrieve's famous travelling menagerie - 'Wombwell's Royal Number One' - was to close in 1872. All of the animals were to be sold by auction in Edinburgh.
An Asian elephant called Maharajah was purchased from the Edinburgh auction by the owners of Belle Vue Zoological Gardens. It was planned to send him by train to Manchester, but this plan was rapidly altered after he severely damaged a railway carriage. His keeper suggested that they should walk to Manchester, and this they did over the next ten days.
Subsequently the tale of the walk entered zoological folklore, suffering some alterations over time and being linked with several other incidents. In this book David Barnaby, a Manchester researcher, has carefully examined all the available evidence to try and separate fact from the fiction, and record what, at the very least, was a most interesting journey.
1988 Bassett Publications
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Dear Wade: I know you can't post any more of my comments until other people leave more. Did you see anything in the news about Bellevue Zoo's two tigons, which were born in Dresden Zoo, going back on display as mounted specimens at Manchester Museum after I think spending 60 years in moth balls? Here is an article about them. The female was named Maude. The male was her brother. They frequently mated, but produced no offspring.:
theguardian.com/science/animal-magic/2015/aug/18/tigon-tiger-lion-Manchester-museum
There is something else I have been hearing about on the internet which is interesting about these supposed sea monsters which the Japanese are reporting seeing in the Arctic, giant all white creatures they see in the water mostly at night called "Ningen" which is Japanese for humans. Sincerely Paul
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