This was the saddle used for giving children rides on Kamala, an Indian Elephant who lived at the Wellington Zoo from 1953 to 1983. She died of a ruptured spleen and was the last elephant to be kept at the zoo. Her house - which was tiny but was supposed to resemble an Indian temple - has been repurposed as a cafe (photos of the house in various phases through time are in the Wellington Zoo gallery).
The saddle as it would have looked when on the elephant can be seen in this poster:
Thank you for posting these very interesting photos. Is this a display specifically about the history of Wellington zoo, or is it about zoos in general? And is this a permanent thing, or just a temporary exhibition?
@sooty mangabey The museum displays items from the history of the city, and rather than the Wellington Zoo pieces being an actual "Wellington Zoo display" they are scattered here and there through the building. The elephant artifacts (the saddle, leg bones, and poster) are displayed together; while the stuffed Lions and the Chimpanzee Tea Party furniture are on another floor (but not displayed together). These items are the only things from the zoo at the museum.
It is a very old-timey museum, housed within an old wooden building which gives it an even more "proper museum" vibe. It was the first time I had visited and I liked it a lot. All the zoo items on display are permanent.
@Chlidonias Many thanks! Yes - the website certainly looks old-fashioned as well (ie, not very informative - hence my asking the question). Great to see some zoo material on display!
