Anyone wishing to learn about the history of Oregon Zoo's elephants should purchase the book Elephant Speak: A Devoted Keeper's Life Among the Herd, which was written by Melissa Crandall and published in 2020.
The book is a biography of Roger Henneous, who spent 30 years working at the Oregon Zoo and during almost all of that time he ran the Elephant House and oversaw the maintenance of the Asian elephant herd. The first two pages are an extremely detailed family tree of more than 35 elephants that have resided at the zoo over the years. There is also a one-page map of the Elephant Barn as it was for many decades, showing the outline of the various 'holding pens'.
There is then a short chapter on the early life of Roger Henneous, before the book plunges into a history of both Henneous' career but also the life of all the elephants at the Oregon Zoo. The book is very readable, with a brisk style to the writing that keeps readers entertained and enthralled. There is no shying away from some of the outdated elephant management procedures of the era, such as electric shocks given to one of the bulls while in musth and the frequent sending away of baby elephants when they were only a year or two old. The author takes great pains to declare that such events do not occur in the modern age of zoo-keeping.
It is fascinating to read about all of the adventures that took place at the zoo, with an elephant keeper's job essentially being months upon months of back-breaking work, with the occasional moment of 'abject terror'. Henneous and his fellow keepers routinely managed the elephants with full-contact, going into tight spaces in the old Elephant House and being in perilous situations on an hourly basis. The incredible breeding record of the Oregon Zoo's elephants is highlighted, along with the astonishing number of elephants kept there over the years. On a regular basis there would be elephants coming and going, with most years seeing around 10-12 elephants at the zoo at any one time. Some years had 14 elephants at the zoo, with two yards and many days with the animals being rotated and thus a couple of bulls would spend months inside tiny holding pens. There were some terrific years at the zoo, with baby elephants being born at a record-setting pace, but also some very sad, lean years in the 1990s with multiple deaths and a tremendous number of foot-related problems with the pachyderms due to their small exhibit and lack of walking opportunities. The book does end with the celebration of 2015's Elephant Lands, which is a $57 million, 6-acre complex that is far superior to what previously held elephants.
'Elephant Speak' is 256 pages long, excluding 14 additional pages of acknowledgments and references, with a nice 7-page summary at the end with a brief write-up about the 32 main elephants at the zoo over the decades. There are also 18 black and white photos scattered throughout the book. This book is an excellent resource as it is not only an intriguing biography, but the publication represents a concise and informative history of the Oregon Zoo's elephant program.
Old Elephant Barn (one compartment):
Old Elephant Barn (one compartment):
New Elephant House (public viewing area):
New Elephant House (exterior is reminiscent of the Casson Pavilion):
Map of Elephant Lands:
Main pool in Elephant Lands:
One of several yards in Elephant Lands (a nice background!):
Another yard in Elephant Lands:
Another yard in Elephant Lands (with feeders on the side):
The book is a biography of Roger Henneous, who spent 30 years working at the Oregon Zoo and during almost all of that time he ran the Elephant House and oversaw the maintenance of the Asian elephant herd. The first two pages are an extremely detailed family tree of more than 35 elephants that have resided at the zoo over the years. There is also a one-page map of the Elephant Barn as it was for many decades, showing the outline of the various 'holding pens'.
There is then a short chapter on the early life of Roger Henneous, before the book plunges into a history of both Henneous' career but also the life of all the elephants at the Oregon Zoo. The book is very readable, with a brisk style to the writing that keeps readers entertained and enthralled. There is no shying away from some of the outdated elephant management procedures of the era, such as electric shocks given to one of the bulls while in musth and the frequent sending away of baby elephants when they were only a year or two old. The author takes great pains to declare that such events do not occur in the modern age of zoo-keeping.
It is fascinating to read about all of the adventures that took place at the zoo, with an elephant keeper's job essentially being months upon months of back-breaking work, with the occasional moment of 'abject terror'. Henneous and his fellow keepers routinely managed the elephants with full-contact, going into tight spaces in the old Elephant House and being in perilous situations on an hourly basis. The incredible breeding record of the Oregon Zoo's elephants is highlighted, along with the astonishing number of elephants kept there over the years. On a regular basis there would be elephants coming and going, with most years seeing around 10-12 elephants at the zoo at any one time. Some years had 14 elephants at the zoo, with two yards and many days with the animals being rotated and thus a couple of bulls would spend months inside tiny holding pens. There were some terrific years at the zoo, with baby elephants being born at a record-setting pace, but also some very sad, lean years in the 1990s with multiple deaths and a tremendous number of foot-related problems with the pachyderms due to their small exhibit and lack of walking opportunities. The book does end with the celebration of 2015's Elephant Lands, which is a $57 million, 6-acre complex that is far superior to what previously held elephants.
'Elephant Speak' is 256 pages long, excluding 14 additional pages of acknowledgments and references, with a nice 7-page summary at the end with a brief write-up about the 32 main elephants at the zoo over the decades. There are also 18 black and white photos scattered throughout the book. This book is an excellent resource as it is not only an intriguing biography, but the publication represents a concise and informative history of the Oregon Zoo's elephant program.
Old Elephant Barn (one compartment):
Old Elephant Barn (one compartment):
New Elephant House (public viewing area):
New Elephant House (exterior is reminiscent of the Casson Pavilion):
Map of Elephant Lands:
Main pool in Elephant Lands:
One of several yards in Elephant Lands (a nice background!):
Another yard in Elephant Lands:
Another yard in Elephant Lands (with feeders on the side):
