ELEPHANT ARRIVES.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20083, 12 November 1930, Page 7

ELEPHANT ARRIVES.

BOUGHT FOR AUCKLAND.

[THE P&ESS Special Surricfl,]

AUCKLAND, November H

Jumbo, the big elephant purchased by the Auckland City Council from the Hobart Zoo, arrived by the tiJimaroa to-day, and was taken to the Auckland Zoo on a motor-trailer. Jumbo will be a mate for Jamuna, the female zoo elephant. He was brought from the iiobart Zoo, his keeper explained, having been taken there when he was nine years old from India, where he was born in captivity. He is now aged 13. When his purchase was completed he was removed -to Taronga Park, Sydney, to wait for the Ulimaroa. "We had a great time getting him from the park to the lorry-trailer, which was to take him to the ship," remarked his keeper. <l \\e had to rig up a sort of derrick, and then Jumbo would persist in playfully hauling oh the steel ropes, which were to lift him into his cage. Every time we fixed them he would just unfix them, and he did that for half-an-hour. and they say that elephants have no brains."

His fondness was children, explained the keeper. They could do anything with him. He had been taught no tricks, because that might be dangerous where children were concerned. He was a general favourite on board ship, and apart from the 3J tons of hay he ate, He was never hungry. If the chief steward found he had to ration out more bread than usual to the crew he would have to ask who used to gougf the middle out of the loaves to fill the space with jam and give it to Jumbo. Jumbo likes jam, Scraps of apple and onions and oranges round the cage told their own tale.