Ziggy
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Brookfield Zoo in United States

Biography
dead elephant ☨ ♂ Ziggy  dead elephant
Ziggy and elephant trainer William "Buckles" Woodcock at Brookfield Zoo 1965.
Ziggy and elephant trainer William "Buckles" Woodcock at Brookfield Zoo 1965.
Alternative name: Herman
Museum locations
Present / last location:Field Museum of Natural History, in United States
Date of arrival
Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, United States
Identification
SSP nr453
Description
Species:Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:Male ♂ 56 years old
Origin
Born:* 1919 wild
Birth place:
Death
Dead: †1975-10-27
Death reason: accident: fell into dry moat
Locations - owners
Present / last location:Brookfield Zoo, in United States
Date of arrival
1936-07-28Brookfield Zoo
from Singer Midgets (Leopold von Singer)
1928-00-00Singer Midgets (Leopold von Singer)
from Leipzig Zoo
1927-00-00Leipzig Zoo
from Singer Midgets (Leopold von Singer)
1922-00-00Singer Midgets (Leopold von Singer)
from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
1922-00-00Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
from Florenz Ziegfeld
1922-00-00Florenz Ziegfeld 1922-00-00
from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Record history
History of updates2020-10-24
Latest document update2025-03-20 09:46:09

† Ziggy is a dead Male ♂ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), , who died 1975-10-27 at Brookfield Zoo, in United States, . Official death reason described as fell into dry moat.

Museum locationThe Museum specimen remains of this animal is within the collection at Field Museum of Natural History, in Chicago, United States.

Casualties

1 casualties
  1. 1941-04-26: elephant trainer George "Slim" Lewis attacked by Ziggy. Lewis was able to get Ziggy unchained, and for a while to participate in zoo activities. Then, on April 26, 1941, hormones high from being "in Musth, " Ziggy trunk-slapped Lewis, knocking him fifty Feet, while zoo visitors looked on in horror. Before Lewis could get up, Ziggy had him by the leg, plunging his Tusks down repeatedly, while Lewis, happy to be slim, rolled into the space in between them to avoid getting gored. George "Slim" Lewis Survived. When his Tusks briefly caught deep in the dirt, Lewis managed to escape. Ziggy picked up Lewis's hat and threw it after him.


Origin

Ziggy was born wild 1919.


Comments / pictures

Records about Ziggy from Bob Cline

ZIGGY
Male Asian
Florenz Zeigfeld - named him Ziggy

1936 to 1937 - Singer's Midgets
Brookfield Zoo
Died Oct. 27, 1975

Bob Cline, author of the book "Americas elephants".


After 1941, Ziggy was uncontrollable, and could not be kept outside, so he stayed inside his stable from 1941-1971, when through donations, the facilities were rebuilt in a way, so he could safely have acces to an outside enclosure.
Ziggy in Brookfield Zoo

1975: Fell into the eight-foot dry Moat inside the stable, and was severly injured. Lewis write in his book, "I Loved Rogues," Stretching as far as he could, he lashed at a keeper across the moat, lost his balance and pitched in headfirst.

On October 28, 1975, he died.
Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). Ziggy, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Brookfield Zoo in United States. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 30 March 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=3230. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:


Litterature about Brookfield Zoo

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Categories1975 deaths | Field Museum of Natural History Taxidermy | 1919 births | Elephants from Brookfield Zoo | United States | Asian elephants




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