All right, she was sold to a circus, Culpepper and Merriweather Circus. It’s a little show, but they had an Asian elephant. Young, the same age as Connie. Excuse me, it was an African, like Connie. It wasn’t an Asian. it was an African. You’re right. Because she was going… Read More
Remember the banana, how she would try to get the banana under the wire?… Read More
That’s the only shock she ever had. Read More
She would go- No, I don’t remember. No. But Frank, when you were training Connie, you realized that positive reinforcement was the best way. Sure. The only way, as far as I’m concerned. The only time I was rough with her was the day before she was picked up as… Read More
What was the occasion?… Read More
No, I worked her giving rides. I came back, and in November when we went over to the, it’s now a baseball field, a dome over in St. Pete. Read More
It was the Halloween celebration that you went, took the elephant over there for. It hadn’t quite finished the inside yet. Well, Jesus. There’s a dome. And we took her over there. Was fine with the children. We walked in and walked out. We had to have a police guard… Read More
She was perfectly handled. We worked at a house out on the island, a birthday party. Somebody wanted to spend the money to hire an elephant ride for a birthday party. We were- Frank, mention how it came upon, the method to get her to lie down. Read More
And how long did you work her or did you ultimately have to move her to a zoo?… Read More
Yes. Read More
Just a follow-up question, when you were director of either Evansville or Jacksonville, which we’ll talk about, but when you were director, did you ever have problems with animal rights people?… Read More
Not that I’m aware of. If somebody complained, not to me but just complained about an animal not being treated properly, we got into action right away. Certainly. Read More
And how long, so Connie was now giving rides, and you were, so you were working her?… Read More
Now, Frank, you mentioned that people were upset about Connie being chained up. Yes. with little adjustments so they didn’t- Well, I fixed it by replacing the chain with an nylon leash. Read More
Did you have issues with animal rights organizations when you were doing this kind of thing or just individual citizens?… Read More
We don’t wait for animal rights organizations. You listen to the public very carefully, and we heard enough so that we changed that leash from a chain to a nylon leash. Do it instantly. Read More
Did you have a howdah made for Connie yet?… Read More
And the girl said, “When do I get on her?” And I said, “Well, this may be a little rough, but try it.” She came up to the platform, and the girl got on her back and sat there. And the elephant walked ahead and walked around the loop, a… Read More
What did the girl, girl had something to hold onto to, I remember. Yes, yes. She had a baby howdah. Just a different, the only difference were baby ones. And she came back to the platform and stood there. The girl got off, and she walked around again with nobody. Read More
It’s up a hillside, not open to the public, up a hillside. And at the top of the hill, we parked our vehicles, and the elephant stayed up there and came down the hill in the morning every day and went back at night. Connie, again, still, wouldn’t have anything… Read More