Susie (elephant)
Susie (born c.1947 in India - died January 31, 2005 in Birmingham) was an Indian elephant on exhibit at the Birmingham Zoo.
She was born in the wild and received by an animal importer in Charleston, South Carolina. She resided in Wilmington, North Carolina before she was brought to the Birmingham Zoo on loan in June 1957. She was soon purchased for $3,000 and became a permanent companion to Mona, who had been on exhibit since July 4, 1955.
In 1960 she and Mona began learning various tricks from trainer C. P. Pinyan and keeper Jerry Brasher. Their routine provided exercise and mental stimulus, and helped to break up the long day.
During most of her tenure at the zoo, Susie shared a 1,000-square-foot pen with access to two concrete-floored stalls in the zoo's pachyderm building. She died in early 2005, leaving Mona as the zoo's sole elephant.
References
- "Susie visiting zoo may stay" (May 28, 1957) The Birmingham News
- Butler, George. (June 1957) "New residents of zoo looking for a friend." The Birmingham News
- Martin, Wayne (January 24, 1961) "Elephants studying for act" The Birmingham News - via Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections
External links
- Birmingham Zoo website