Tusko
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Seattle Zoo (Woodland Park Zoo) in United States

Biography

☨ ♂ Tusko
Photo: Woodland Park Zoo, Knudson family

Alternative name:	Ned
Museum locations
Present / last location:	University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, in United States

Date of arrival

	University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, , United States from H. C. Barber, , United States

Identification

SSP nr	T2242

Description
Species:	Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:	Male ♂ 43 years old
Origin
Born:	* 1890 wild
Birth place:	in Thailand unspecified location
Imported:	1898
Death
Dead:	†1933-06-10
Death reason:	disease: massive blood clot in the heart
Locations - owners
Present / last location:	Seattle Zoo (Woodland Park Zoo), in United States

Date of arrival

1932-10-08	Seattle Zoo (Woodland Park Zoo) from George ”Slim” Lewis

1932-00-00	George ”Slim” Lewis from H. C. Barber

	H. C. Barber from Lotus Isle Amusement Park

1928-00-00	Lotus Isle Amusement Park from Al G. Barnes Circus

1921-00-00	Al G. Barnes Circus from M.L. Clark Wagon Show

1903-00-00	M.L. Clark Wagon Show 1903-00-00 from Great Eastern Shows (W.F. Smith)

1902-00-00	Great Eastern Shows (W.F. Smith) from Great Syndicate Shows

1901-00-00	Great Syndicate Shows from New York Harbour

1898-00-00	New York Harbour from Bangkok Port

1807-00-00	Bangkok Port from Thailand unspecified location

Record history
History of updates	2016-01-05: SSP nr 2025-03-20: prev locations

Latest document update	2025-03-20 07:37:26
Google map

† Tusko is a dead Male ♂ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), , who died 1933-06-10 at Seattle Zoo (Woodland Park Zoo), in United States, . Official death reason described as massive blood clot in the heart.

Museum locationThe Museum specimen remains of this animal is within the collection at University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, in , United States.

Affiliated people

1: Al G. Barnes (owner from 1921 to 1931) 2: George "Slim" Lewis (owner from 1931 to 1932)

Origin

The North American Regional Studbook lists this elephant with a Temporary Studbook Number, lacking "supporting documentation to validate their identity."

Tusko was born wild 1890 at Thailand unspecified location. and imported 1898

Comments / pictures

Records about Tusko from SSPNorth American Studbook for Asian elephants state following records for the asian elephant Tusko:

T2242 M ~ 1896 WILD WILD ASIA ???? NONE Capture Ned
SMITH SH ~ 1902 ________ Transfer
BARNES AL ~ 1904 TUSKO Transfer
SEATTLE ~ 1930 ________ Transfer
10-Jun-35 Death

Source: SSP studbook for Asian elephants online

"That winter Lee reported he matched Ned for a fight with a Mexican bull in the bull ring at Juarez, Old Mexico, on February 2, 1913. He was to get $2,500, and movies were to be taken, and Clark was to get a print of the films. Five bulls were run out and none would fight Ned. The Mexicans did not like that and the films were confiscated by police. Clark was to be fined $500, but he sneaked across the bridge to El Paso, Texas, during the night with Ned.

About midseason of 1921, the Clark show sold the big male tusker, Ned, to Al G. Barnes. Ned was loaded in a baggage car on July 3, 1921, in Seligman, Missouri, and shipped to the Barnes show, which was playing in Minnesota at the time. After going to the Barnes show the elephant's name was changed to "Tusko." Lee Clark reports that Barnes paid $6,000 cash for the bull. The writer considers the sale of Ned as the beginning of the end of the Clark show. (See the article on Ned and Mena in the November-December, 1958, issue of Bandwagon.)

Some people refer to Ned/Tusko as a killer elephant, but no one knows of any one he killed. It is true that after getting to the Barnes show the elephant did get unmanageable at times and was left in quarters parts of some season. He was kept well chained. There are photos of him wearing a "martingale" on the Clark show, which would indicate he was on the rough side while still on that show. But Lee Clark said he only wore this during his "must" season. Handlers had to watch him when he swung his head and kept away from his Tusks at such times. Lee says the only person injured by Ned on the Clark show was Willie Clark, who was hit by a tusk and received a broken rib."
Homer C. Walton. Bandwagon, Vol. 9, No. 2 (Mar-Apr), 1965, pp. 4-11.

"Elephant Tusko was acquired to Seattle Woodland Park Zoo October 8. He was living in miserable conditions in a traveling show at Virginia and Westlake, in downtown Seattle. Mayor Dore ordered him confiscated and removed to WPZ. The Park Board approved the acquisition of Tusko provided title was free and clear and hired G.W. "Slim" Lewis as special keeper for Tusko @ $3.25 per day.

Tusko was an infamous circus bull, renowned for his tremendous size and for having gone on rampages from time to time. He spent the last months of his life at Woodland Park Zoo, with Lewis. Lewis wrote an autobiography -- I Loved Rogues in which he detailed the years he spent training elephants in circuses and zoos.

The Board approved remodeling Wide Awake's Elephant House to accommodate Tusko. This enlargement was apparent until the building's demolition in the 1990s. The north portion of the building had a higher roofline and was more spacious, in keeping with Tusko's tremendous size.

On June 10, 1933, Tusko died from a massive blood clot in his Heart. His demise set off an acrimonious dispute as to the ownership and rights to his remains."
Woodland Park Zoo

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2026). Tusko, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Seattle Zoo (Woodland Park Zoo) in United States. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 21 January 2026 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=2318. (archived at the Wayback machine)