CIRCUS HANDS INJURED

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27860, 7 January 1956, Page 8

CIRCUS HANDS INJURED

ATTACKS BY YOUNG ELEPHANT TRAPEZE ARTIST SENT TO HOSPITAL (New Zealand Press Association) BLENHEIM. January 6. Jo-Dee. a young elephanU’belonging to Wirths’ Circus, this afternoon attacked one of the trapeze artists, Mr D. Graham, who is now in hospital. and earlier today she slightly injured another of the circus employees. Mr D. McKinnon. Jo-Dee hit a small boy with her trunk earlier in the week at Christchurch. This afternoon, Mr Graham was sitting in a motor-cycle side-car when Jo-Dee walked un to him. picked him up by the neck with her trunk, and dropped him on the ground. Circus hands went into action immediately, and while Jo-Dee was put under restraint. an ambulance was called and Mr Graham was rushed to the Wairau Hospital. His general condition was reported late this afternoon to be satisfactory and his injuries as not extensive. There is no suggestion that Jo-Dee will be destroyed, a circus executive said this afternoon. Jo-Dee had the same frisky tendencies as all young elephants, he said. She was approaching nine years old. the age when she could be put to heavy work. Heavy harness had the effect of quietening young elephants quickly, except in the few cases when they went from bad to worse. • it was said, had shown no indications of being a rogue. She would be carefully watched in future.