Hattie (elephant)

Hattie and Bill Snyder circa 1913

Hattie (died in 1922) was an elephant in New York City's Central Park Zoo that in 1904 was described as the "most intelligent of all elephants".^[1] In 1911 she was described as "nearly human".^[2]

History

She was purchased for $5,000 and trained by Bill Snyder who had trained elephants at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.^[2] The elephant had been brought to New York from Ceylon in 1903 by Carl Hagenbeck.^[1] She died in November of 1922 at the Central Park Zoo after a week-long illness.^[3]

References

1. "Her Cleverness is a Revelation to Trainers. Why, She Understands English" (PDF). New York Times Magazine. June 19, 1904. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
2. "Park Elephant's Prohibition Principles Overcome with the Aid of a Block and Tackle.". New York Times. April 14, 1911. Retrieved 2009-07-24. Hattie, the $5,000 trick elephant at Central Park, which has been frequently called "nearly human" has gone on record as agin' prohibition. She went very much agin' prohibition, to wit, to the measure of two full quarts of five-year-old firewater. But her departure from a temperate life was the only thing that prevented her departure from an earthly one.
3. "Hattie, Central Park Elephant, Dies. News Hidden to Keep Sad Children Away." (PDF). New York Times. November 20, 1922. Retrieved 2009-07-25. Hattie is dead. Central Park's pet elephant succumbed on Saturday afternoon to the Illness against which she had fought for more a than a week. Unwilling that thousands of children who had loved the frolicsome pachyderm and ...