Annie
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Henry Vilas Zoo in United States

Biography

☨ ♀ Annie

Identification

SSP nr	T2106

Description
Species:	Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:	Female ♀
Origin
Born:	* wild
Birth place:
Death
Dead:	†1948-11-11
Death reason:	disease: foot infection/heart condition
Locations - owners
Present / last location:	Henry Vilas Zoo, in United States

Date of arrival

1918-07-20	Henry Vilas Zoo from R.T. Richards Circus

1917-00-00	R.T. Richards Circus from Wheeler Brothers Circus

1916-00-00	Wheeler Brothers Circus from Hugo Brothers Circus

1915-00-00	Hugo Brothers Circus from Barton and Bailey Circus

1915-00-00	Barton and Bailey Circus from William P. Hall Animal Farm

1913-00-00	William P. Hall Animal Farm 1913-00-00 from Sig Sautlette Show

1913-00-00	Sig Sautlette Show from Campbell Brothers Circus

Record history
History of updates	2010-09-26

Latest document update	2020-10-18 06:25:24

† Annie is a dead Female ♀ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), , who died 1948-11-11 at Henry Vilas Zoo, in United States, . Official death reason described as foot infection/heart condition.

Origin

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

Annie was born wild .

Comments / pictures

Annie arrived at the Henry Vilas Zoo as a gift from Alfred Ringling in 1918, seven years after the opening of the zoo. Thereafter she was kept as a single elephant until her death in 1948. She was replaced two years later with an elephant purchased and named Winky.

Records about Annie from Bob Cline

ANNIE Female Asian
1910 to 1912 - Campbell Bros. Circus
1913 - Sig Sautlette Show
1913 to 1915 - Wm.P. Hall farm
1915 - Barton and Bailey Circus
1915 - Hugo Bros. Circus
1916 - Wheeler Bros. Circus
1917 to 1918 - R.T. Richards show
1918 - Given to Henry Vilas Park Zoo July 20th.
Died - at the Zoo Nov. 11, 1948 of a Heart Condition

While I am not sure exactly when she started out on the Campbell Bros. I am sure she was there from 1910 to 1912. I lean more towards the 1904 acquisition of elephants from Hagenbeck in Omaha, Nebraska on May 8, 1904 but I cannot absolutely prove this.

From 1913 to 1916 she was part of the 5 act that Mr. Hall had put together with Boo, Ding, Alice and Diamond ( later became Black Diamond ). This was the only 5 act that Hall ever assembled with all his other elephant toupes only being a three act.

In 1917 the 5 act was actually sold to R.T. Richards who was Alf Ringling's son. I have never discovered the reason why she was pulled out of the act and sold back to Mr. Hall in may of 1918 but he gave her to the Zoo right after that.

With her death in Nov. of 1948, the Zoo wanted an elephant badly to replace her. They bought a baby elephant being imported with five others from Malaysia on the steamship Swarthmore Victory. After their arrival in San Francisco, Henry Vilas Zoo Director Harold Hayes went out to meet her and help crate up the 900 pound 3 year old to leave for Chicago. She was named Annie also. Bob Cline, author of the book "Americas elephants".

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). Annie, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Henry Vilas Zoo in United States. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 30 March 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=2385. (archived at the Wayback machine)