Elephants! Ask anyone and you will most probably get the same answer. Yes, the elephants are one of the favourites among zoo visitors of all age group. This is the sesquicentennial year of the Alipore Zoo, so is the bond between the 150 years old Alipore Zoo and the gentle giants!
Presently elephants can be seen at the zoo in its open-air enclosure enjoying their freedom. Their playful antics draw crowds towards them like a magnet. But this was not always so. In my childhood, whenever I have been to the zoo I have seen these giants, legs tied to chains, with its mahout sitting near it. The elephant was deft at begging! It used to meticulously take coins of any denominations in its trunk and hand it over to its mahout and if food was offered the trunk took the stuff straight to its mouth! There was no error of judgement on the part of the elephant!
Finnish Prime Minister Dr. V. J. Sukselainen on an elephant ride at the Alipore Zoological Garden in 1960.
Before this period there was the ever-popular elephant ride. Kids of all ages and adults too loved to ride on the back of the zoo elephant amongst the lush green zoological gardens with shades of trees of all kinds and cacophony arising out of animal and bird calls. My octogenarian father remembers the elephant ride and tells me it was conducted for a mere twenty-five paise! It was high in demand and there used to be a mad rush to get an elephant ride. The elephant rides stopped in the 1960s after an elephant of the zoo went berserk and killed its mahout. When I was a journalist with a daily and Alipore Zoo was my beat, I used to daily visit the zoo and wander all around. In this course I came to many discoveries. One among them was the cemented stand from where children or adults used to get on the back of the elephants. This in course of time disappeared as new developments kept on taking place in the zoo.
The Alipore Zoo was established on 24th September 1875 but was opened to the public on 1st May 1876. The zoo was inaugurated by the Prince of Wales, who later ascended the throne of Britain and was known as Edward VII. The Zeerut Bridge was all decked up for the occasion and amongst the crowd of the rich and the famous of Bengal, the prince walked in and inaugurated the Alipore Zoo. The prince didn’t come empty handed. He gifted the zoo a pair of young elephants which was probably the first elephants of the Zoo. One will be surprised to learn that in the beginning elephants were not a popular zoo animal. It was costly to keep and the Indian public took little interest in them since the elephants were quite a well-known and common animal. They were seldom permanently exhibited in the zoo.
Dr. John Anderson
Dr. John Anderson, the first Superintendent of the Indian Museum and acting Superintendent of the Alipore Zoo in his 'Guide to the Calcutta Zoological Gardens' (1883) writes, “Their number in the gardens varies according as they are in demand for export or exchange. They are kept, in all weathers, merely under the shade of some trees, as this has been found amply sufficient for their comfort and health."
Rai Bahadur Ram Brahma Sanyal.
The first permanent Superintendent of the zoo Ram Brahma Sanyal in his 'Handbook of the Management of Animals in Captivity in Lower Bengal' (1892) mentions that, “In proportion to its costliness it is not an attractive animal, especially to the Indian Public, and is therefore not always exhibited in the Gardens; one or two young animals are, however, generally on view during the cold weather awaiting transmission to some Zoological Society in Europe, or Australia.” British ornithologist, prolific author and the First Assistant Superintendent of the Indian Museum, Frank Finn in the 'Hamlyn’s Menagerie' Magazine of June 1917 too corroborates this fact, “We seldom had elephants and then only young ones destined to go elsewhere, the elephant being so well known that he did not justify the large expense."
Irrespective of the fact whether some of the elephants were kept here for a short period or a long period they have definitely left their footprints on the pages of Natural History. Let’s have a look at some of Alipore Zoos famous and immortal elephants.
Baby elephants arrived at the Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, UK.
Elephant which overcame a storm and became the talk of the town
This Alipore Zoo elephant was not an ordinary elephant as it earned laurels for its intelligence and attracted the attention of the world community for its dexterity at encountering and defeating a mightiest sea storm. From day one of its landing, it was not an ordinary elephant but a celebrity in its own right! Both, Dr. John Anderson as well as Ram Brahma Sanyal has not failed to mention this incident in their respective books which I have mentioned earlier. This young elephant was sent to the Melbourne Zoological Gardens in 1883 from the Alipore Zoo and its sea voyage from Kolkata to Melbourne was not an ordinary one but full of adventures. This young elephant with its intelligence weathered the storm which was encountered in the journey and safely landed in Melbourne to become the talk of the town. This incident is recorded as follows - “as a terrific storm was encountered which cleared the deck of the ship, but the wise brute held on by its trunk to an iron bar on the leeside of the vessel until the storm abated.” What a welcome the elephant got! It became an instant hit with the public for its uniqueness and heroism.
Elephant which frightened a Man-Eating Tiger
Mr. C. T. Buckland who was the President of the then Managing Committee of the Alipore Zoo in 'The Longman’s Magazine' (1890) tells us about a Man-Eating tiger which was obviously not scared of us and liked hunting us, humans, for its meal was a coward when it came to an encounter with an elephant that too a young one! Mr. Buckland writes, “We had two very fine Man-Eating tigers... They had killed many human beings before they had been caught alive in pitfalls, and they had not forgotten it. But the large male of this pair was a coward and the sight of a small tame elephant in front of his den he would run into his inner compartment and hide himself. He had never seen an elephant in his native-wilds, but he did not like the look of it.”
Children riding an elephant at Auckland Zoo, keeper Attar Ali and Jamuna the elephant. (1920-1929)
Jamuna - The Star of New Zealand Zoo
Never before and after has an elephant enjoyed such popularity as 'Jamuna'. This female elephant lived in the Alipore Zoo in the 1920s. She was sent to Auckland Zoo as a gift in 1923 and overnight became the star of the Auckland Zoo. She was gentle with the children and soon became everyone’s favourite. She passed away in 1965 and as a mark of love for this elephant the area outside the old elephant house in the Auckland Zoo is now named "Jamuna Plaza” after her. Her arrival in New Zealand was widely covered in the Press.
Children riding on an elephant (Jamuna) at the Auckland Zoo. Other children are standing on the viewing platform and steps waiting their turn.
The giraffe house is in the background. (1950-1960)
She arrived by the ship named 'Waitomata' and when she refused to walk down the gangway, she was lifted by a crane by fixing a canvas sling fixed round her body and brought to the shore. 'Jamuna' was accompanied by her Indian keeper Attar Ali. 'The New Zealand Herald' Volume LX Issue 18420 dated 8th June 1923 vividly described the landing of Jamuna. According to it “Jamuna is no ordinary elephant, according to Mr. L. T. Griffin, Assistant Curator of the Auckland Museum. She is, as elephants go, a lady of high caste, and the Superintendent of the Calcutta Zoo stated that she was one of the finest elephants ever received at the zoo.” The superintendent’s words came out to be so true!
Albino/White Burmese Elephant 'Pa Wah' with Dr. Saw Po Min.
A white Elephant
Alipore Zoo witnessed a never before rush between the period June to August 1928 because of the exhibition of a White Elephant. Actually, this white elephant was an albino since it had pink eyes. This albino elephant was named 'Pa Wa' and was owned by a private exhibitor named Dr. Saw D. Po Min of Myanmar. The Management Committee of the Alipore Zoo had permitted him to exhibit his 'White Elephant' at the Zoo. Dr. Min belonged to the Karen tribe of Myanmar and had captured the elephant in November 1919. He had taken his elephant to America where it was displayed in circuses amazing people to no end. He also took the elephant to London Zoo and at last it was brought to the Alipore Zoo in 1928.
• Lord Indra on His Elephant Airavata. Hand carved in Black granite stone.
Since Hindus consider mythological White elephant Airavat as Carrier of Lord Indra there was a mad rush to see this living sacred elephant! Unfortunately, this albino elephant died in the Alipore Zoo on 25th August 1928. According to the centenary volume of the Calcutta Zoo (1875-1975), “The Zoo was lucky to have a rush of visitors who considered a white elephant to be ‘Living Deity’, but the owner was unlucky to have lost it so suddenly.” The death of this elephant even made it to the news in the United States. The New York Times of August 26, 1928 reported, “Pa Wa, the sacred white elephant, which small children visiting the London Zoo in 1927 were not allowed to ride as they could other pachyderms, died last night in distant Calcutta.”
National Library, Kolkata.
Elephants who came to Party
Viceroy Linlithgow and his wife threw a children’s party at their Calcutta residence at Belvedere (Which is now known as the National Library) on 28th December 1939. Belvedere used to be the Calcutta residence of the Viceroy. The Viceroys were known to annually visit Belvedere during the Christmas holidays to open the Calcutta festivity season with flower shows, children’s party, Zenana party, Dog shows, races, theatricals etc. all lined up. The prime attractions of the children party were the two elephants of the Alipore Zoo named 'Begum' and 'Joymala'. They were sent to Belvedere to carry the trumpeter and Father Christmas (Santa Claus) for the children’s party. The Report of the Managing Committee of the Calcutta Zoo 1939-40 reported the achievement of their elephants with pride. The Viceroy and his wife as well as the guests thoroughly appreciated the elephant’s antics. When Second World War began the Calcutta Zoo was turned into a military camp. All the animals were either destroyed or given away to other zoos. 'Joymala' the star of the Viceroy’s children’s party and another zoo elephant named 'Phoolmala' were sent to Chakdihi in Nadia District of West Bengal. 'Begum' the other star elephant had already died before Great Britain was plunged in the World War.
The Killer Elephant
August 19, 1963 will always be etched in Calcutta Zoos history as a black day or rather a bloody day. This day a Mahout (Elephant trainer and keeper) of the Calcutta Zoo named Farman Mia was trampled and killed by the zoos rather tame elephant 'Phoolmala'. This was not the end of it. 'Phoolmala' ran amok in the zoo and the zoo was shut. Keeping the welfare of other animals and birds housed in the zoo in mind a hard decision was taken to put down the elephant.
Ronald Allan Moore (Assistant Commissioner of the 2nd Battalion of Calcutta Armed Police).
Legendary Anglo-Indian Police Officer Ronald Allan Moore who at that time was the Assistant Commissioner of the 2nd Battalion of Calcutta Armed Police was summoned to discharge this rather frightful duty. Mr. Ronald popularly called 'Ronnie' was approached because he was a fearless officer and he had a reputation of culling rogue elephants in Assam and Tripura. Mr. Moore entered the Zoo on foot and shot the killer Elephant thrice and killed her. This ended the brief reign of terror that this female jumbo had unleashed not only on the resident animals and birds but on the public mind as well. Ronald Moore’s son Peter Moore in an essay titled “An ordinary Bloke” writes that his father killed this killer elephant with a great regret. After the elephant was killed the Zoo was shut for the next two days for the disposal of the carcass, which by no means was an easy job.
Elephant who Cured Primate Constipation!
In the 1970s Alipore Zoo had a huge female jumbo named 'Shahjadi'. She soon became a doctor obviously without her knowledge! Actually, this jumbo had this uncanny power to strike terror into the hearts of the animals and birds of the zoo, so much so that some of the constipating chimpanzees and monkeys readily eased themselves through fright!
100 years of Calcutta Zoo (1875-1975) also mentions a very interesting incident where 'Shahjadi' played an important role in netting a chimpanzee of the zoo named 'Caroline'. Actually, in an October morning of 1970 Caroline who was being treated for her sickness had somehow escaped from the zoo hospital yard to the open. She quickly climbed the high Rain tree and no amount of cajoling from her keepers and other zoo staff could bring her down. When her favourite ice cream was offered, she came down the tree in a flash grabbed the ice-cream and went back to the tree top. Exasperated, the zoo staff thought of bringing their last and best bet 'Shahjadi' the elephant. She was brought in and led towards the tree on which 'Caroline' was enjoying her ice-cream and her freedom. The loud trumpeting of 'Shahjadi' forced the frightened chimp to get down the tree. The Chimp was safely driven into a box and captured again.
In these 150 years of the Alipore Zoos existence the elephants have endured being kept tied under a tree comes rain or sunshine, chained and trained to beg for money which was pocketed by its keeper, used for joy rides etc. The tales of these elephants of the Alipore Zoo are sometimes rib tickling, sometimes frightening but above all they are awe-inspiring. These anecdotes only strengthen the universal truth that elephants are really such amazing and fascinating creatures.
Reference:
Jumbo Tales of Calcutta Zoo: Shakunt Pandey; Science Reporter, Volume 52 no. 7, July 2015.
Photo Courtesy: Internet
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