BURIAL OF BETTY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22777, 10 July 1937, Page 16

BURIAL OF BETTY

ELEPHANT'S FUNERAL

SORROW OF FORMER MATE EARLIER SERIOUS ILLNESS The baby elephant, Betty, belonging to Sole Brothers' circus, which died from pneumonia on Thursday morning, was buried in simple state at the Epsom Show Grounds yesterday. A circus waggon was the hearse and a largo hole dug in the grounds not far from the shed in which she died was her grave. The burial was performed after n medical examination had been made and necessary formalities completed with the Health Department. All the circus mourns, but particularly Topsy, tho only other animal of her species in tho menagerie. Topsy, an older, more mature animal, was her constant companion and Betty regarded her somewhat as a mother. Topsy has become despondent and went about her work yesterday at a mournful gait. An unusual record was probably established by Betty in her final illness. It is extremely doubtful if any other sufferer in Now Zealand has ever consumed so many aspirins in so short a period. For the normal person the usual dose is two of these tablets, but for an elephant it was considered that 30 at a time would not be too many. Betty had several such doses and her brief illness accounted for well over 100. In spite bf her tender age Betty had suffered at least one previous illness that nearly brought her to death's door. When tho circus animals were conveyed from Waitara to To Kuiti by motor-lorries early in May a cage of monkeys fell from its conveyance aiul crashed down tho steep bank from the road almost into the Awakino River. While circus employees were busy rescuing the terrified monkeys Betty and Topsy stepped from their lorries und began cropping the foliage at the roadside. Injudicious choice of poisonous tutu had an unfortunate result. Both animals became ill, Topsy recovered fairly quickly under treatment, but for three days Betty's healthy "was in a parlous state. Eventually she recovered.