Big Charlie
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Butlins Holiday Camp Filey in United Kingdom

Biography

☨ ♂ Big Charlie
Charlie and keeper Singh Ibrahim
Alternative name:	Kya Lee

Identification


Description

Species:	Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:	Male ♂, unknown age
Origin
Born:	* wild
Birth place:	in Asia unspecified location
Death
Dead:	†
Death reason:	euthanised:
Locations - owners
Present / last location:	Butlins Holiday Camp Filey, in United Kingdom

Date of arrival

1957-00-00	Butlins Holiday Camp Filey from Butlins Holiday Camp Skegness

	Butlins Holiday Camp Skegness from Codys Circus (Harry Cody)

Record history
History of updates	2022-04-09

Latest document update	2022-04-09 19:04:37
Relevant literature
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† Big Charlie is a dead Male ♂ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), , who died at Butlins Holiday Camp Filey, in United Kingdom, .

Origin

Big Charlie was born wild at Asia unspecified location.

Comments / pictures

Also Described in the book Big Charlie, by J. H. Williams.

Contradictory records:

Two other elephants (one bull) transported as well, sold from a Chinese circus to an English circus. Dick Chipperfield tried to buy the bull with the intention of having it shot to prevent the trouble it was expected to cause. He was unsuccessful.(Pamela Macgregor-Morris, Chipperfield's Circus, published 1957)

Big Charlie went directly to Coady. Chipperfield's never bought him. The transaction was arranged by a Mrs. Cotrelly, the mother of Willie Cotrelly, long time acrobat with Robert Brothers and Gerry Cottle. Dick Chipperfield was completely opposed to the elephant coming to England. Charlie was already quite a large animal and he knew it wouldn't be long before he started causing trouble. A small circus in the UK could not handle or accommodate a large bull. Jamie Clubb, 2009

Charlie the Elephant Craigend Estate was sold to Andrew Wilson and his zoologist son William in 1949. The family was already well-known as the proprietors of Wilsons Zoo in Oswald Street, Glasgow. Between them they transformed Craigend into a zoological wonderland containing four thousand animals, reptiles and birds. most of which were kept in cages and dens located round the Gallow Hill (qv). A Noahs Ark contained smaller birds and animals and was especially popular with children. Two of the Estates three lochs contained rowing and motor boats which could be hired for a modest sum. Three of the Castles public rooms became tearooms serving up to a thousand customers a day. Undoubtedly, the Zoos main attraction was Charlie the Elephant who resided in the stables block along with his keeper Singh Ibrahim. The pair were inseparable as the following story illustrates. Ibrahim one day decided to go for a drink in one of Milngavies public houses. As he walked down towards the village, he was unaware that Charlie was following at a discreet distance. The elephants presence was only confirmed when he tried to enter the public bar and got stuck fast in the doorway! It took the local fire brigade some considerable time to set him free.

Charlie has a cafe/theatre bar at Mugdock Country Park named after him, see http://www.bearsdenherald.co.uk/news/local-headlines/make_ours_a_large_one_1_1504689

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2024). Big Charlie, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Butlins Holiday Camp Filey in United Kingdom. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 25 April 2024 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=4643. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:

Pamela Macgregor-Morris, Chipperfields Circus
The Legend of Salt and Sauce, by Jamie Clubb, 2009
https://issuu.com/dramscotland/docs/csbm/4
https://urbanglasgow.co.uk/the-zoo-in-the-city-centre-in-1960-s-t3580.html

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CategoriesElephants from Butlins Holiday Camp Filey | United Kingdom | Asian elephants

About this documentThis document was updated: 2022-04-09 19:04:37 with valid HTML5