Famous Canadian Animals (Or Almost Canadian) Part 1: Mumbo-Jumbo

Geoff Corfield

Geoffrey Corfield has been active in Conservative politics in Canada since 1976, both federally and provincially. But he won’t always write about politics because he has more experience with writing history and humour. He lives in London, Ontario, frequents used book shops, swims lengths, drinks beer, plays croquet, has his own town in north-central Queensland and six books published, and would very much like to find a publisher for this New Zealand book and its companion one for Australia.

In 1865 a four-year-old African elephant arrived in London, England. He had been traded to the London Zoo by the Paris Zoo for a rhinoceros named Rawene. They called him “Jumbo” even though he was only five foot tall. The name “Jumbo” came from the term “mumbo-jumbo”, meaning a powerful African supernatural being. Not too much Canadian content so far.

But Jumbo grew. Eventually he reached 11 foot tall becoming the largest animal in captivity and the star of the London Zoo. Eventually too the word “jumbo” reached the dictionary, becoming an adjective meaning “very large”.

In 1882 a 21 year old Jumbo arrived in New York City. He had been sold by the London Zoo to the Barnum, Bailey and Hutchinson Circus for $10,000. The British people didn’t want Jumbo to go. Jumbo didn’t want to go either. It took 34 days, two cancelled passages, barrels of beer and cases of whisky before they tricked him into going. Jumbo became the star of the circus too, earning back the money it cost to buy him in three days.

Now here comes the Canadian connection. On 15 September 1885 a 24 year old Jumbo arrived in the small city of St Thomas, Ontario, Canada. After the evening show Jumbo was walking along the railway tracks back to “Jumbo’s Palace Car”. On one side was the circus train. On the other side an eight foot embankment.

Then a freight train suddenly appeared. Jumbo was trapped between the circus train and the embankment. He wouldn’t go down the embankment so he ran. Elephants can run up to 20mph, but unfortunately Jumbo couldn’t outrun the train and the train couldn’t stop in time (the brakes were applied by hand-turning wheels). The train hit Jumbo in the rear, pitching him forward and driving a tusk into his brain.

The next day the train left for nearby London, Ontario. The show must go on. It took 200 men to pull Jumbo off the tracks, and two taxidermists and two butchers three days to dispose of the body (they charged 5 cents to view it). In Jumbo’s stomach they found coins, keys, a police whistle, lead seals, screws, rivets, wire, and glass and metal trinkets.

The skin and skeleton were sent to Rochester, New York, USA. The skin was stuffed and the skeleton mounted, and Jumbo was sent back out on tour. The skeleton eventually went to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The skin was destroyed by fire in 1975.

But Jumbo lives on in St Thomas, Ontario, Canada (and in dictionaries). In 1985 they put up a life-size statue of Jumbo in St Thomas on top of a hill coming into town. It’s a popular attraction. Jumbo is indeed “very large”. All over. He’s still a star.

An elephant never forgets. And Jumbo is an elephant that will never be forgotten. Especially in Canada. (If you’re thinking of getting an elephant for a pet they eat 150lbs of feed a day and you need to scrub them and file their feet).

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