Gay
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park in United Kingdom

Biography

☨ ♀ Gay
Gay. Paignton Zoo 08/2008. Photo: © Darren Smith

Alternative name:	Mali, Mahali

Identification

EEP nr	7701

Description
Species:	Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:	Female ♀ 40 years old
Status:	foot problems
Origin
Born:	* 1970 wild
Birth place:
Death
Dead:	†2010-03-09
Death reason:	euthanised: abcess in foot
Locations - owners
Present / last location:	Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, in United Kingdom

Date of arrival

1977-04-04	Paignton Zoo Environmental Park from Longleat Safari Park

1976-00-00	Longleat Safari Park from Sir Robert Fossetts Circus

1974-03-00	Sir Robert Fossetts Circus from Dudley Zoo

1973-00-00	Dudley Zoo from Dreamland Safari Wild Animal Park

1972-00-00	Dreamland Safari Wild Animal Park from Dudley Zoo

Record history
History of updates	2022-04-09

Latest document update	2023-10-21 15:33:04

† Gay is a dead foot problems Female ♀ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), , who died 2010-03-09 at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, in United Kingdom, . Official death reason described as abcess in foot.

Origin

Gay was born wild 1970.

Comments / pictures

Duchess and Gay both arrived to the Paignton Zoo from Longleat Safari in 1977.

In April 2005, the zoo began separating the pair at night after Gay suffered a tusk injury overnight from Dutchess.

2010: Gay was born in 1970 and came to Paignton Zoo on 4 April 1977 from Longleat Safari Park. She had previously been with Fawcetts Circus in Ireland.Paignton's Zoo News, summer 2010

There is a definite link with Margate Dreamland as an animal named Gay (aka Mali or Mahali) spent the 1972 and 1973 Summer seasons at Margate before returning to Dudley in the Autumn. Gay was sent to Fossetts Circus in March 1974.

You mention Gay/Gaye, the Paignton elephant was sent to Fossett's Circus, just to clarify do you mean Sir Robert Fossett's Circus?. If so this will for me solve the identity of the tenth elephant Sir Robert Fossett's owned from 1974 up to 1979.

Gay on elephant-news.com

Gay is mentioned on Elephant News:

Articles where Gay is mentioned on elephant-news.com
Date	Links which opens in new window
2010-03-09	Sick elephant put down at paignton zoo in devon - Elephant News

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). Gay, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park in United Kingdom. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 29 March 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=1810. (archived at the Wayback machine)