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.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Animal Dealers--Morgan Berry
Morgan Berry received a kiss from Fern, a young Malayan sun bear, after delivering her to the Portland Zoo recently, 1961
Wade, thanks for that info. I have a picture of Morgan and Eloise presenting their 5 bull Asian elephants on my computer, do you know what happend to this act?
Bjorn, Yes, I know what happened to the act. It killed both Morgan and Eloise.
From the Circus History Message Board:
May 07, 2004 - I remember Morgan Berry when, under tragic circumstances, we meet at Rock Forest, Quebec on Saturday, May 6, 1978. He arrived in a Police helicopter and landed in the shopping center's parking lot. Eloise Berchtold, his partner, had been killed by Teak, a male elephant, during a performance on Gatini Circus, on the previous night. While the killer elephant was destroyed there remained another elephant, Thai, who escaped. We shared a ride in a patrol car which drove us to a secluded road where the frightened elephant was found hiding in a bush. Morgan Berry just went after him and within minutes returned with Thai. Mr. Berry was a animal importer who specialized in elephants and was known as an expert in his field. The system seen in the movie "Jurassic Park" was inspired by Morgan Berry and put in use at the Portland Zoo. I have heard that he was also a musician and would hold musical sessions in the barn where he kept the elephants. Giovanni Iuliani.
From the elephant data base:
Morgan Berry was killed by the elephant Tonga in June, 1979. At the time of his death, Berrys 75-acre farm housed nine elephants and 2 wolfs.
The data base also lists:
Buddha death 1979 Death reason--killed: after possible killing of Morgan Berry
I got to see Eloise work three of the males, I believe Thai, Ranchy(Ranchapur), and Tunga twice when she went into Marineland to fill in until we arrived in 1976. A few months later she was killed in Canada.
With the focus on Morgan Berry and Eloise Berchtold, I would like to revisit a previous inquiry I had regarding the couple and their elephants at the Toledo Zoo. From the mid-1960s to early-1970s, referencing records of the North American Regional Studbook for the Asian Ele[phant, it seems as if each of the five females listed with history of Eloise Berchtold and the Toledo Zoo replaced the previous animal when it returned to the circus. Wade also shared a photograph of an Asian male tusker with whom no records are available of his time at the zoo.
The 1969 Elephant Census published in Amusement Business lists Morgan Berry of Kalama, Washington, with the three males Buddah, Thai and Teak. Listed in the same issue is an add titled "For Elephants It's The Berrys! First in sales, rentals, leasing-breeding."
Morgan Berry received a kiss from Fern, a young Malayan sun bear, after delivering her to the Portland Zoo recently, 1961
I had know idea that Morgan Berry also whas an animal dealer, I always thought he whas an animal trainer.
ReplyDeleteBjorn,
ReplyDeleteDealing is how he first got into elephants.
Wade
Wade,
ReplyDeletethanks for that info. I have a picture of Morgan and Eloise presenting their 5 bull Asian elephants on my computer, do you know what happend to this act?
Bjorn
Bjorn,
ReplyDeleteYes, I know what happened to the act. It killed both Morgan and Eloise.
From the Circus History Message Board:
May 07, 2004 - I remember Morgan Berry when, under tragic circumstances, we meet at Rock Forest, Quebec on Saturday, May 6, 1978. He arrived in a Police helicopter and landed in the shopping center's parking lot. Eloise Berchtold, his partner, had been killed by Teak, a male elephant, during a performance on Gatini Circus, on the previous night. While the killer elephant was destroyed there remained another elephant, Thai, who escaped. We shared a ride in a patrol car which drove us to a secluded road where the frightened elephant was found hiding in a bush. Morgan Berry just went after him and within minutes returned with Thai. Mr. Berry was a animal importer who specialized in elephants and was known as an expert in his field. The system seen in the movie "Jurassic Park" was inspired by Morgan Berry and put in use at the Portland Zoo. I have heard that he was also a musician and would hold musical sessions in the barn where he kept the elephants. Giovanni Iuliani.
From the elephant data base:
Morgan Berry was killed by the elephant Tonga in June, 1979. At the time of his death, Berrys 75-acre farm housed nine elephants and 2 wolfs.
The data base also lists:
Buddha death 1979
Death reason--killed: after possible killing of Morgan Berry
I got to see Eloise work three of the males, I believe Thai, Ranchy(Ranchapur), and Tunga twice when she went into Marineland to fill in until we arrived in 1976. A few months later she was killed in Canada.
Wade
With the focus on Morgan Berry and Eloise Berchtold, I would like to revisit a previous inquiry I had regarding the couple and their elephants at the Toledo Zoo. From the mid-1960s to early-1970s, referencing records of the North American Regional Studbook for the Asian Ele[phant, it seems as if each of the five females listed with history of Eloise Berchtold and the Toledo Zoo replaced the previous animal when it returned to the circus. Wade also shared a photograph of an Asian male tusker with whom no records are available of his time at the zoo.
ReplyDeleteThe 1969 Elephant Census published in Amusement Business lists Morgan Berry of Kalama, Washington, with the three males Buddah, Thai and Teak. Listed in the same issue is an add titled "For Elephants It's The Berrys! First in sales, rentals, leasing-breeding."
Hello Eloise would be my great aunt an I would love to talk. my grandma talks of her often.
ReplyDelete