Famous Elephants

Packy, Tyke, Gunda, Buddha, and Thonglaw are among some of the most famous elephants in modern history. Each lived a life that tells a different part of the same story. Their histories are documented throughout Elephant Mountain, and the sources below allow you to dig deeper.

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Graphic of four famous elephants in history: Packy, Tyke, Gunda, and Buddha against a dark blue background.

The Elephant Packy

Packy the elephant was born at the Oregon Zoo in 1962, the first elephant birth in a U.S. zoo in 44 years, making him a landmark figure in captive elephant history. This historic interview features Oregon Zoo veterinarian Doc Maberry discussing the profound impact Packy’s birth had on the city of Portland. The footage provides insights into the events that followed. Click on the photo to watch the full interview. Download the video transcript here.

Morgan Berry standing next to an elephant at the Oregon Zoo in 1962, featuring the elephant Packy in a KGW8 interview called Packy & Me with Dr. Matthew Maberry.

More Sources on The Elephant Packy

  1. Alexander, Shana. “Belle’s Baby 225 Pounds and All Elephant.” Life Magazine, May 11, 1962, pp. 104-120.
  2. Alexander, Shana. The Astonishing Elephant. New York: Random House, 2000.
  3. ArnicaCreative. “Packy and Me.” YouTube video, 3:00. February 28, 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWpfwSJvAdo
  4. “Belle and Her Baby Set New Record at Portland Zoo.” Skagit Valley Herald (Mt. Vernon, Washington), April 23, 1962, p. 1.
  5. Bozarth, Cliff. “Everybody Has a Story: Working on Woodland Elephant Farm was Unusual Job.” The Columbian News (Vancouver, Washington), April 2, 2023. https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/apr/02/everybody-has-a-story-working-on-elephant-farm-was-unusual-job/
  6. “Elephant Gives Birth in Oregon Zoo.” The New York Times, April 15, 1962, p. 52.
  7. Federman, Stan. “Packy Comes of Age for Grand Birthday Party.” The Oregonian, April 7, 1983, p. C1.
  8. Maberry, Matthew, Patricia Maberry, and Michelle Trappen. Packy & Me. Beaverton, Oregon: Maberry Press, 2011.
  9. Muldoon, Katy. “Oregon Zoo Prepares to Celebrate Half a Century with its Most Beloved Elephant, Packy.” OregonLive, April 9, 2012. https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2012/04/packy_oregons_renowned_elephan.html
  10. Patterson, Rod. “Formal Dedication of New Elephant Facilities at Washington Park Zoo.” The Sunday Oregonian, May 4, 1980, p. 2.
  11. “Portland Belle Fund Passes Goal.” Skagit Valley Herald (Mt. Vernon, Washington), May 17, 1962, p. 1.
  12. “Portland Takes Its New Baby Elephant Very Big.” St. Cloud Times (St. Cloud, Minnesota), April 19, 1962, p. 11.
  13. “Precocious Pachyderm Puts Portland on Map.” The Oregonian, April 13, 1963, p. 16.
  14. “Reluctant Belle Puts on Weight.” Skagit Valley Herald (Mt. Vernon, Washington), March 9, 1962, p. 1.
  15. Richards, Leverett. “Elephant in Waiting Getting Mail…Across the Nation.” The Oregonian, January 23, 1962, p. 1.
  16. Richards, Leverett. Elephants Don’t Snore. Vancouver, Washington: Rose Wind Press, 1996.
  17. Richards, Leveret. “Belle Loses Her Temper.” The Oregonian, January 23, 1962, p. 1.
  18. “Stork on Way for Elephant.” Skagit Valley Herald (Mt. Vernon, Washington), January 15, 1962, p. 1.

The Elephant Buddha

Buddha was a performing elephant who tragically killed his trainer (and the man who raised him), Morgan Berry. The sources below document Buddha’s life and the events that made him a central figure in the book Elephant Mountain.

  1. Alexander, Shana. The Astonishing Elephant. New York: Random House, 2000.
  2. Bozarth, Cliff. “Everybody Has a Story: Working on Woodland Elephant Farm was Unusual Job.” The Columbian News (Vancouver, Washington), April 2, 2023. https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/apr/02/everybody-has-a-story-working-on-elephant-farm-was-unusual-job/
  3. Bozarth, Cliff. “Comment on McMenamins Blog,” McMenamins Blog, June 25, 2022. https://blog.mcmenamins.com/elephant-mountain/
  4. McIntosh, Jay. “Elephants: Ken Berry had Tough Job Finding Home for Beasts.” The Daily News (Longview, Washington), November 21, 1979.
  5. Moore, Randall Jay, and Christopher Munnion. Back to Africa. Johannesburg: Southern Book Publishers, 1989.
  6. Moore, Randall Jay, and Christopher Munnion. Elephants for Africa. Auckland Park, South Africa: Abu Publications, 2000.

The Excavation of Buddha

A group of Lewis & Clark College students later excavated Buddha’s remains on Elephant Mountain. The following sources document the dig.

  1. Burner, Dell. “Up From the Grave.” The Daily News (Longview, Washington), August 19, 1983.
  2. Miller, J., December 4, 2012. “Comment on The Elephant, Photographer and Sheriff Blog.” Cowlitz County Law Enforcement History Blog. http://cclehistory.blogspot.com/2009/10/elephant-photographer-and-sheriff.html#comment
  3. Ruble, Web. “Students Excavate Elephant Bones.” The Oregonian, August 22, 1983, p. B4.

The Elephant Tyke

Tyke was a performing circus elephant who tragically k—ed her trainer during a circus show in Honolulu before fleeing into the streets. Her story has many remarkable similarities to the death of Eloise, k—ed by a different elephant in the middle of a circus show, as told in Elephant Mountain. The sources below document Tyke’s life, the incident, and the lasting impact her story has had on keeping elephants in captivity. Click on the image below to watch the documentary Tyke Elephant Outlaw. (Currently streaming on Netflix).

Tyke the elephant on her knees with two people beneath her, from the documentary Tyke Elephant Outlaw.
  1. Lambert, Susan, and Stefan Moore, directors. Tyke: Elephant Outlaw. Media Stockade, 2014. 78 min.
  2. American Film Institute. “Tyke Elephant Outlaw Clip.” YouTube video, 3:53. June 8, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amAGD6qU7Ms
  3. Schmidt, Michael, DVM. Jumbo Ghosts: The Dangerous Life of Elephants in the Zoo. Chicago: Xlibris Corp, 2002.

The Elephant Gunda

Gunda was an elephant at the Bronx Zoo in the early 1900s, whose poor treatment sparked outrage and calls for her release. The zoo’s dismissive responses to reports of abuse marked the beginning of a troubling pattern of rhetoric around captive elephants.

  1. “Bronx Zoo Elephant Chained for 2 Years.” The New York Times, June 23, 1914, p. 3.
  2. “Bullet Ends Gunda Bronx Zoo Elephant.” The New York Times, June 23, 1915, p. 8.
  3. “Elephant Attacks Keeper.” The New York Times, July 29, 1907, p. 1.
  4. “Gunda Breaks Tusk in Fight to be Free.” The New York Times, July 14, 1914, p. 1.
  5. “Gunda Must Submit to Shackles Again.” The New York Times, July 13, 1914, p. 9.
  6. “Gunda’s Exercise is the One-Step.” The New York Times, June 25, 1914, p. 6.
  7. “It’s Now Up to Gunda.” The New York Times, August 14, 1914, p. 12.
  8. “Open Door to Loose Big Gunda’s Chains.” The New York Times, July 2, 1914, p. 6.
  9. Schmidt, Michael, DVM. Jumbo Ghosts: The Dangerous Life of Elephants in the Zoo. Chicago: Xlibris Corp, 2002.
  10. “Times Readers Protest Against Gunda’s Imprisonment.” The New York Times, July 19, 1914, p. SM6.
  11. “Vetoes $1000 Plan for Relief for Gunda: Dr. Hornaday Says He Would Rather Kill Beast Than Rebuild Zoo.” The New York Times, July 1, 1014, p. 5.

The Elephant Thonglaw

Thonglaw’s electrocution sessions were part of trainer Morgan Berry’s broader attempts to manage male elephants during musth. This section documents what occurred and the circumstances surrounding it. Unfortunately, this practice did not end with Thonglaw and continued with other elephants, which can be explored in more detail here.

  1. Bozarth, Cliff. “Everybody Has a Story: Working on Woodland Elephant Farm was Unusual Job.” The Columbian News (Vancouver, Washington), April 2, 2023. https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/apr/02/everybody-has-a-story-working-on-elephant-farm-was-unusual-job/
  2. Crandall, Melissa. Elephant Speak: A Devoted Keeper’s Life Among the Herd. Portland, Oregon: Ooligan Press, 2020.
  3. Maberry, Matthew, Patricia Maberry, and Michelle Trappen. Packy & Me. Beaverton, Oregon: Maberry Press, 2011.
  4. Richards, Leverett. Elephants Don’t Snore. Vancouver, Washington: Rose Wind Press, 1996.
  5. Schmidt, Michael, DVM. Jumbo Ghosts: The Dangerous Life of Elephants in the Zoo. Chicago: Xlibris Corp, 2002.