I am not too accurate about the year, I think I was 13, so 1970, or perhaps a little earlier. I had a weekend job at the elephant house, FPZ. It would be forbidden now of course as too dangerous, but in those days I got to muck-out, feed, scrub, handle and occasionally ride the elephants. I think I was paid (sometimes) five shillings (25 pence) for my labours across Saturday and Sunday. The elephants at that time were: Asian male "Hannibal", or "Hannibull" as it was written on the information sign for the public; Asian female "Irma", and young African "Tembo" -- I forget the sex of the African. There is no doubt about the accuracy of this information--I was there, and I can still smell the smell! Hannibal was a bad-tempered beast, with his left tusk about a foot or 18 inches long, and the other snapped off high up in the socket. Irma was more reliable, and of course the African was young and quite small, so therefore manageable. African elephants had the reputation at the time of being untameable, and I don't know if that is still regarded as being the case
That's the one - I must have been looking in the wrong place or just not seen it! Plus it was a job, not a voluntary role! The Elephant House had obviously been up and running for a while at this point. I still cannot understand why I cannot remember seeing Hannibal before 1971. He must have been there on many of our visits. Oh well.
