Modoc
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Los Angeles Zoo in United States

Biography

☨ ♀ Modoc
Forest Park Zoo elephant Morganetta and trainer Charlie Coleman

Alternative name:	Morganetta

Identification

SSP nr	438 (T2239)

Description
Species:	Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:	Female ♀ 16 years old
Origin
Born:	* 1964 wild
Birth place:	in Asia unspecified location
Death
Dead:	†1980-07-26
Death reason:	unknown:
Locations - owners
Present / last location:	Los Angeles Zoo, in United States

Date of arrival

1979-12-15	Los Angeles Zoo from J. C. Schulz Inc.

1965-00-00	J. C. Schulz Inc. from Springfield Forest Park Zoo

	Springfield Forest Park Zoo from Asia unspecified location

Record history
History of updates	2025-03-17:

Latest document update	2022-03-18 06:05:32

† Modoc is a dead Female ♀ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), , who died 1980-07-26 at Los Angeles Zoo, in United States, .

Origin

Modoc was born wild 1964 at Asia unspecified location.

Comments / pictures

In Studbooks also referred to as nr T2239.

Morganetta was named after Morgan O’Connell, who had campaigned to add an elephant to the Forest Park Zoo. She was brought to Springfield from Thailand in 1964 as an infant, when the 300-pound pachyderm’s diet consisted of 14 quarts of grain, 15 pounds of hay, and 10 pounds of chopped fruits and vegetables. Tethered much of her life by a short chain tied around her leg, she loved the chance to get out and roam, performing in the Shrine Circus and walking in the Sixteen Acres and Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day parades.

Her keeper (pictured with Morganetta below) weighed in, saying it would be cruel to separate Morganetta and him by three thousand miles, but the Parks Department did just that, shipping her to the Los Angeles Zoo. She died seven months later—of a broken heart, many insisted.

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). Modoc, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Los Angeles Zoo in United States. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 29 March 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=5207. (archived at the Wayback machine)