Elephant locations in United Kingdom

168 locations has kept elephants in United Kingdom

There is presently 50 (15,35) living elephants in locations in United Kingdom in this database

United Kingdom
Region: United Kingdom is in this database included in europe
Location holdings: 168 locations has kept 339 elephants in United Kingdom

(Database tables with collection of elephants further down on the page)
Elephants in locations50 (15,35) living 289 (67,199) dead

Elephants arriving England from 13th to 18th century


An elephant was exhibited after 1254 and another elephant toured in 1623.

Three living elephant were on display in 1675, 1683, and 1729, but didnt live long.

At least eleven elephants arrived in Britain during the reigns of Queen Anne and Georges I and II; some of them died soon after arrival.

There is some confusion, as to weather the Wilkins and the Berkeley elephant is the same individual. Also, a third elephant is mentioned in this time period, which may be identical; In his Memorialls, the presbyterian minister, Robert Law, recorded the wonder of seeing a ‘bonnie’ elephant in Glasgow in January, 1681:

"Anno 1680, came an elephant to Brittain, bought by the English merchants at 2000 lib. Sterling, and was sent through the island for sight to gain money; never was there any elephant seen in Scotland before, and it was brought to Glasgow, January 1681, and was seen by many; it was then eleven years old."
Robert Law

1st of August 1683 a female elephant arrived London from from the Indies (lost to trace) and later a male elephant was offered for sale at Mr Thomas Collies Brewer in Lime-House.

















Arrival NameOwnerMiscDeadLast Location
1255unknown nameHenry III of EnglandA gift from Louis IX, the king of France1259Tower of London Menagerie
1623Don Diego?Arriving Portugal with ship 1622?Palazzo Venezia, Italy
167??Wilkins elephantMr Wilkins1681-06-17Dublin
1675Berkeleys elephantJohn Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of StrattonArrived in Whitefriars 16751676?private owner
1683Dundee elephantAbraham SeverArrived with Sever after a tour of Europe1706Abraham Sever in Dundee
1720unknown nameprivate ownerArriving 1720-07-02 in West Smithfield, London1720West Smithfield
1730unknown nameEnglish East India CompanyDied when the ship "Marlborough" exploded1730Onboard English East India Company ship in Blackwall, UK

Sources


* Menagerie: The History of Exotic Animals in England By Caroline Grigson (ISBN B018ZK17T4)
*https://drmarkjardine.wordpress.com/2011/08/12/the-first-elephant-in-scotland-1681/
*Elefanten in Zoo und Circus, EEG: Haufellner, Kurt, Schilfarth, Schweiger

Recommended Citation

Koehl, Dan, Facts about elephants in United Kingdom. Elephant Encyclopedia, (2025) available online retrieved 2025-03-28 at https://www.elephant.se/country.php?name=United Kingdom.
(archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources, among others


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