A while back you emailed looking for information about an elephant named Gabriel who had his name changed and was on Vargas at some point. Could this be that Gabriel?
Monday, October 10, 2011
For Radar--Gabriel Portland Zoo--1981
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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7 comments:
Very interesting. Thank you for sharing, Wade. I knew the studbook's records were incomplete regarding Gabriel. This news photo shows that the young male left for the Chicago directly from Oregon, not via Rex Williams as stated in the studbook.
Radar,
Did Rex possibly deliver him from Oregon to Chicago, or have him for a time before he ended up in Chicago?
Wade
It is not possible if the news photo you posted has correct information. They show Gabriel at the Portland Zoo and state he will be flown to Chicago the following day. When Rex took delivery of this animal from a California facility in the late-seventies, he changed Gabriel's name to McClane/McLain after the elephant trainer.
Radar,
Then it may not be the same animal. I don't recall Rex having a Gabriel, but he did have a McLain in 1981.
Wade
Rex did not have a Gabriel. He changed the animal's name to McLain. Darlene confirmed it was the same animal.
A bit more about Gabe / McClane -
The Studbook says he left the Chicago zoo after the summer season ( a petting zoo elephant ) in 1973 to Circus Vargas. I have not found anything to substantiate this. At the zoo he was known as "Bobo" but I believe this just to be a public name. There were at least two at Brookfield. From 1976 to 1977, Gabriel was at Enchanted Village in California - a Ralph Helfer operation. The park closed in 1977 due to bankruptcy.
By 1979, we have McClain on Vargas in the T-mount. He died there at an unknown date.
I have found reference that in early 1978, a new baby elephant was delivered to Vargas around the time that the Hunt Bros. elephants were sold to Mexico. I do not know if they are referencing Gabe or another. A six year old male isn't one to be referred to as a "baby" lol.
I still can't find when Kate & Booper were added or from where, but they were also in the 1979 T-mount.
Radar,
There was nothing remotely resembling a "baby" elephant on Vargas when I was there in 1981. I don't recall a baby elephant there when I was on Vargas the first time in 1974, filling in for Pat Anthony.
Wade
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