Patrons of the zoo were captivated by the gentle giant that stood 10 feet, 6 inches tall. A London newspaper at the time described Jumbo, 'as gentle with children as the best trained poodle dog.' London was devastated to see their national talisman leave for AmericaĪt first there was nothing to suggest that Jumbo would go on to become a world famous celebrity but over time he became a national treasure for Great Britain where he remained for 17 years. The shrinking elephant first arrived at a private German menagerie before he was traded to Jardin des Plantes Zoo in Paris.īarnum & Bailey Circus poster, 1882. Considered something of a runt at the time, Jumbo was captured by poachers and eventually sold to an exotic animal trader who brought him to Europe. Jumbo’s story starts in 1860 on the border of Eritrea and Sudan where he was born. Prone to violent night terrors, Jumbo was plied with alcohol to keep him sedated before he met his early demise in P.T. ![]() But in the nineteenth century, very few people had seen an elephant before and his astonishing presence created a myth that made him an international celebrity.Īs a young calf, Jumbo witnessed his mother butchered by poachers for her tusks, later he ate coins and other inedible objects that were tossed into his cage. His ears were not remarkable in size and his stature wasn't abnormally massive. But in her story, Jumbo is ridiculed for his oversized ears, teased for being 'dumb' and given the cruel moniker 'Dumbo' instead. The ‘Most Famous Elephant on Earth’ was dead at the age of 24.Įveryone knows the story of Disney's Dumbo, the 1941 animated classic about a baby elephant with giant ears forced to perform in a circus after being separated from his mother. Fewer people know that the story, taken from a 1939 children's book by Helen Aberson titled Dumbo The Flying Elephant is inspired by a real elephant named Jumbo, who captivated thousands across America while travelling in Barnum & Bailey's circus after becoming a treasured fixture of the London Zoo in the 1800s.ĭisney's 1941 animated classic Dumbo was based off Helen Aberson's whimsical 1939 children's book titled ' Dumbo The Flying Elephantĭrawing from real life, Abeson named her fanciful flying elephant character Jumbo after the world famous animal celebrity. He frantically sounded the whistle for the brakes, sparks flew in the air as the wheels locked in a loud squeal but it was already too late: the train plunged into Jumbo’s mighty body. As he got closer, he noticed two elephants standing on the track. Locomotive #151 has been barreling down the track as planned when its conductor, noticed an indistinct, hulking silhouette in the distance. The circus handlers were under strict orders from the Grand Trunk Railroad depot not to begin loading the elephants until 9.55pm, long after a westbound express freight train was due to pass through the small station. Matthew Scott, Jumbo’s lifelong trainer began the arduous process of loading the enormous animal back into his ornate boxcar that was lacquered with crimson and gold paint and featured massive double doors in the middle to facilitate easy access for the seven ton animal celebrity. Barnum’s circus had finished his evening performance early in Ontario, Canada. Published: 15:00 BST, 29 March 2019 | Updated: 04:13 BST, 2 April 2019Īt around 8.15pm on September 15, 1885, Jumbo, the celebrity elephant in P.T. ![]() African Elephants usually live to between 60 and 70 years The colossal animal celebrity died in a freak train accident at 24.To sedate his aggression, they plied him with beer, whiskey, champagne and booze-soaked biscuits.Jumbo began having violent outbursts and was sold to P.T.He was orphaned after his mother slaughtered by poachers arriving at London Zoo in 1865 in terrible health, his eyes almost 'eaten out by disease'.Jumbo’s life was far more traumatic than his animated namesake.The movie is inspired by the true and heartbreaking life of 'Jumbo ' the abused circus act that became known as 'The Most Famous Elephant on Earth'. ![]() Tim Burton directs a live-action reboot of Disney's 1941 animated classic the fanciful tale of an outcast baby circus elephant named 'Jumbo' who, teased for his over-sized ears, becomes known as Dumbo.The tragic true story of the celebrity elephant that inspired 'Dumbo': An exploited, alcoholic circus act sedated from his nightly tantrums by being fed gallons of booze - before he was hit and killed by a train
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