#Tyke elephant eyes free#

The New York Times writes, “Topsy had, in fact, killed a man, but her execution was ordered only later after she proved unmanageable at the hands of a trainer who savaged her with a pitchfork.” After killing a trainer, Topsy was originally sentenced to die by hanging. In 1903, Topsy the Elephant was sadly executed by electrocution at Luna Park on Coney Island. One of them was overheard saying, ‘Thank God I’m still alive!’ “ 5 Topsy The Owosso Argus Press reported at the time, “The scene that followed is indescribable, the cries and groans from the injured persons and frightened passengers, the roars from the terrified animals and the escaping steam aroused the whole city, and hundreds rushed to the scene to assist in every way in the sad task of caring for the dead and wounded.” They added, “The survivors of the wreck are a sober looking lot. Three camels, a Great Dane, a horse, and an elephant named Maud also lost their lives in the fatal accident, and they were buried close to the crash site.

This unfortunate incident caused the deaths of 23 people, wounded more than 100, and killed some of the animals on board. At around 8:30 AM, two trains transporting the circus collided due to a failure with the brakes. Photo credit: The Great Wallace Brothers Circus train disaster tragically took place in 1903 in Durand, Michigan. A photo of the event has become a truly haunting historical image, the brutality of which has made people question its authenticity over the years, but humans really are this cruel. She was then hanged by a crane (though the chain broke on the first attempt). The next day, Mary was taken to Unicoi County, Tennessee, where a crowd of over 2,500 people gathered to watch her execution.

Mary, in a fit of rage, then threw him to the ground with her trunk and stomped on his head, crushing him to death. With no previous qualifications or training, it’s surprising that Eldridge, a homeless man who had just been hired, was allowed to ride on Mary’s back in the elephant parade, but that is exactly what sealed both of their fates.Īccording to one witness, Eldridge poked the elephant around her ear with a hook as she reached down to eat a watermelon. Mary was performing at Sparks World Famous Circus when she killed a trainer named Red Eldridge. We are heartbroken that these gentle souls have had their well-deserved freedom so cruelly taken from them and will do all that we can to ensure this cowardly killing does not go unpunished.” 7 MaryĪ five-ton elephant became known as “Murderous Mary” after she was hanged for her crimes in 1916. Jan Creamer, president of ADI, said, “Jose and Liso had suffered a terrible life of abuse, but their new life in Africa had given them a new lease of life. Poachers in this area are known for removing the heads and paws from the lifeless bodies of lions and selling them to make a large profit on the black market. However, poachers broke into the sanctuary and poisoned the two large males. Once they were rescued by Animal Defenders International (ADI), they were shipped back to their home country of South Africa to live at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary and finally be safe. Jose and Liso had spent their lives performing in traveling circuses around Peru and Colombia, where they suffered horrific abuse from their handlers.

#Tyke elephant eyes free#

In 2017, the heartbreaking story of two former circus lions that had been set free into the wild only to be killed by poachers spread online. Photo credit: Animal Defenders International Two famous gorillas named Garagantua and Toto, who were a highlight of the circus, were reported safe. Following the fire, which caused $126,000 in damages, the circus was unable to determine exactly how many animals they had lost, although they believed the figure was around 100.

One police inspector who arrived at the scene of the fire stood by with a submachine gun ready to shoot any escaped animals-he took down a zebra, a giraffe, and 24 other animals. The circus workers were able to rescue the horses and elephants, which were led to safety, although one elephant suffered such horrific burns that they were unsure if she would survive. Due to the large amounts of straw surrounding the animals, lions, tigers, camels, zebras, and other species spread out between nine locked cages all perished in the flames.

and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Cleveland, Ohio. In August 1942, an estimated 100 circus animals died in a tragic fire that consumed the tent of the Ringling Bros.