Post by Admin Rose on Jul 12, 2011 1:22:46 GMT -4
Video : bcove.me/q3rsg5ux
Ellen the artistic elephant was such a huge Arkansas celebrity that mourners braved 100-degree heat on Sunday to attend her memorial service. Ellen's claim to fame was her incredible ability to paint, play the harmonica and even play the piano. She entertained zoo-goers for more than 57 years before her death Ellen died on July 5 from heart complications at age 60. For decades, children and adults visited the Asian elephant, celebrated her birthdays and watched her paint pictures that were sold at zoo auctions to raise money for new projects.
Ellen, originally from Thailand, arrived at the Little Rock Zoo in 1954. She was purchased with funds from a local philanthropist who wanted the zoo's first elephant, Ruth, to have a playmate. Raymond Squires, the director of Little Rock zoo, made a special trip to the Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn, New York to meet Ellen before she was shipped to Little Rock. Ellen and Ruth, who died in 1978 at age 65, were must-see attractions at the state's only public zoo.
After Ruth's death, the zoo purchased another elephant - Mary, who became Ellen's companion. Mary also passed away last month due to complications from cancer
Sissy Smith of Helena, Arkansas, drove more than two hours on Sunday to attend the memorial service. The zoo was a weekly family outing for the Smiths in the 1960s. During that time, visitors could feed the animals, and Smith often found herself letting Ellen and Ruth suck up peanuts from her hand. 'Ellen and all of the other animals were like our big pets,' she says. Ellen's keepers, who were with her when she died, were unable to hold back their tears as memorials were read about her quirky personality. Ellen's mischievous personality certainly kept her keepers busy over the years. She and a visiting elephant, Dolly, once unhinged their gate by removing the bolts and escaped to devour some crepe myrtle leaves. 'Ellen had a mind of her own,' said David Westbrook, a former zoo director. 'She was a rebellious elephant but beloved
Another time, a woman standing in front of Ellen's display had some peanuts in her purse. Ellen grabbed the purse with her trunk and ate it. The woman claimed she had a $10,000 ring in the purse. 'For the next two weeks, you can imagine what the zoo keepers were looking for in Ellen's cage,' Westbrook said. 'They never found that ring.'The zoo acquired two new Asian elephants, Jewell and Zina, on June 8th, who will go on display as soon as they adapt to their new surroundings
Ellen the artistic elephant was such a huge Arkansas celebrity that mourners braved 100-degree heat on Sunday to attend her memorial service. Ellen's claim to fame was her incredible ability to paint, play the harmonica and even play the piano. She entertained zoo-goers for more than 57 years before her death Ellen died on July 5 from heart complications at age 60. For decades, children and adults visited the Asian elephant, celebrated her birthdays and watched her paint pictures that were sold at zoo auctions to raise money for new projects.
Ellen, originally from Thailand, arrived at the Little Rock Zoo in 1954. She was purchased with funds from a local philanthropist who wanted the zoo's first elephant, Ruth, to have a playmate. Raymond Squires, the director of Little Rock zoo, made a special trip to the Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn, New York to meet Ellen before she was shipped to Little Rock. Ellen and Ruth, who died in 1978 at age 65, were must-see attractions at the state's only public zoo.
After Ruth's death, the zoo purchased another elephant - Mary, who became Ellen's companion. Mary also passed away last month due to complications from cancer
Sissy Smith of Helena, Arkansas, drove more than two hours on Sunday to attend the memorial service. The zoo was a weekly family outing for the Smiths in the 1960s. During that time, visitors could feed the animals, and Smith often found herself letting Ellen and Ruth suck up peanuts from her hand. 'Ellen and all of the other animals were like our big pets,' she says. Ellen's keepers, who were with her when she died, were unable to hold back their tears as memorials were read about her quirky personality. Ellen's mischievous personality certainly kept her keepers busy over the years. She and a visiting elephant, Dolly, once unhinged their gate by removing the bolts and escaped to devour some crepe myrtle leaves. 'Ellen had a mind of her own,' said David Westbrook, a former zoo director. 'She was a rebellious elephant but beloved
Another time, a woman standing in front of Ellen's display had some peanuts in her purse. Ellen grabbed the purse with her trunk and ate it. The woman claimed she had a $10,000 ring in the purse. 'For the next two weeks, you can imagine what the zoo keepers were looking for in Ellen's cage,' Westbrook said. 'They never found that ring.'The zoo acquired two new Asian elephants, Jewell and Zina, on June 8th, who will go on display as soon as they adapt to their new surroundings
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