End of an Era - Princess Schottzie retires to Florida

Schottzie on her last morning in Cincinnati, Tuesday, Sept. 10

                                               Schottzie at Halloween, 2022

                                         

 

             Jati and Schottzie in the new Cincinnati Zoo Elephant Trek, 

                      late August, just a few weeks before their departure.

                                            

Several generations of Cincinnati families have grown up with visit to the famous Schottzie the elephant at the Cincinnati Zoo. She was always there with her two friends, Mai Thai and Jati, the three Golden Girls, plus sometimes Sabu, the male, but he usually lived in the back paddock, behind the magnificent historic Elephant House. More recently, people could visit them in the vast new Elephant Trek on the back side of the zoo.  

                            Schottzie and our beloved Zoo Santa

                          in the days of free contact, Christmas 2014.

On Tuesday, September 10, Schottzie and Jati left the Cincinnati Zoo for an overnight journey to Busch Gardens in Tampa Florida. I was at the zoo with a friend, and we watched Anak and the two boys play in the yard by the Asian Otters. Separated from the others by a gate, Schottzie and Jati munched on leaves and branches in the main yard. 

 

The historic old Elephant House at the Cincinnati Zoo.

 Schottzie's home for nearly half a century, the elegant Indian inspired elephant house of the Cincinnati Zoo was designed by architect James W. McLaughlin. It was originally named the Herbivora House and held rhinos, hippos, tapirs, and elephants. 

                          Another view of the historic Elephant House

For the past hundred years or so, the elephants of the Cincinnati Zoo have lived in the historic elephant house designed to look like the Taj Mahal. The all-concrete structure was built in 1906 on the highest point of the zoo at a cost of $50,000. In the early days, when the building was known as the Herbivora House, the elephants sometimes shared space with kangaroos, bison, rhinos and hippos. In the 1930's there was even a rare Pygmy Elephant from Africa, named Gimpy. The building is 150 feet long, 75 feet high, and was intended for Asian elephants. African elephants would be too large and too strong for the design. In 1975 the remarkable building was  listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Since the Cincinnati elephants moved to the new Elephant Trek several years ago, the empty elephant house is now being converted to a home for giraffes.

Now demolished to make room for the new Giant Panda habitat,
this is the Copenhagen Zoo Elephant House where Schottzie was born
 in 1975. A new elephant house was built,
 and Schottzie's relatives still live there.  Photo from my 2013 visit.

Schottzie was born to royalty in Copenhagen in on December 15, 1975.  Her father Chieng Mai and her mother Buag Hah were royal gifts to the King and Queen of Denmark from the King of Thailand upon their visit. 

                                                   Chieng Mai, 

                                       father of Schottzie in Copenhagen.

Schottzie's brother Chang, born in 1981, fathered 20 children,  died in 2020. I visited him and took this photo of Chang in 2019 in the Copenhagen Zoo.

History posted at the new elephant house at Copenhagen Zoo

Among other offspring (ten in total), her parents had previously produced another daughter five years before named Irma, who went to live in Rotterdam. Irma's progeny would later encounter Schottzie in Cincinnati.

Schottzie's original name was Irma Boon Ma (another Irma). When she was almost three years old, it was arranged that she should fly to the United States, and her fare was paid by wealthy and eccentric zoo patron Marge Schott, who was owner of the Cincinnati Reds baseball team. Marge had the idea of bringing Schottzie to the games, and to the Opening Day Parade.  She insisted on changing the young elephant's name to Princess Schottzie II (The first Princess Schottzie had passed away).  

The young elephant flew to Chicago, but there was some sort of transportation mix up, so Schottzie spent several days at the Brookfield Zoo before making it to her final destination of Cincinnati, where she met one of her lifelong companions, Mai Thai, who was only a few years older. There was also an African elephant named Gretchen, who was famously featured on post cards, and visitors were allowed to feed her peanuts through the fence. 

I have been told that Schottzie still remembers and obeys commands in Danish, but has long since also learned English commands. As they say, an elephant never forgets. 

                      Schottzie and Jati celebrate Christmas in 2014.

Schottzie moved to the Fort Worth Zoo when she was 11 years old, where she stayed for several years, then back to Cincinnati, and then briefly in the Dickerson Park Zoo with Mai Thai, before returning to Cincinnati with her friend, where Schottzie would stay until just this week.

  

In 1991, Malaysian wildborn Jati arrived in Cincinnati. She was 12 years younger than Schottzie. And she is the companion moving to Florida with her.

                                            Jati and Schottzie in 2016

Cincinnati Zoo elephant keeper Cecil Jackson Jr. has just retired in August. He and Schottzie have shared most of the their lives at the zoo together.

              Elephant keeper Cecil Jackson and his three ladies (and Santa)

                             Mai Thai, Schottzie, Jati at Christmas in 2014.

Mai Thai and Schottzie at Easter, 2018, having an Easter Egg Hunt. 

Schottzie's life changed two years ago, when she was moved from the historic Elephant House to the Cincinnati Zoo's new Elephant Trek, along with Mai Thai, Jati and Sabu. Already living in the Elephant Trek were four younger elephants: Schottzie's late sister Irma's daughter SheRa (Yasmin) (36), born in Rotterdam, SheRa's daughter Anak (23) also born in Rotterdam, SheRa's young son Kabir (9), and Anak's young son Sanjay (8), both boys born in Dublin with the same father. 

Schottzie never did accept her sister's offspring as part of the herd, and has been kept separate, along with her friend Jati. Elephant Trek has two main yards, a side yard and a spacious elephant barn, so it wasn't too hard to give her space. But maybe there were tensions. In any case, it was decided to move Schottzie and Jati to another zoo. 

                  Elephant Bull Sabu and longtime keeper Cecil Jackson 

                at the old Cincinnati Zoo elephant house backyard.  

Elephant bull Sabu had spent several years in the Columbus Zoo while the new Elephant Trek was being built, and the result was two calves born there last year. 

So far, the Cincinnati Zoo has not had much luck in breeding Sabu with SheRa and Anak, the two fertile lady elephants who recently arrived from Europe. It is hoped that having Schottzie and Jati moved to a new home will ease tensions and the female elephants will bond with Sabu and possibly produce babies. 

Retirement to Florida

A move to Busch Gardens in Tampa, a combination amusement park and zoo, is not without controversy. Carina, a 54-year-old geriatric Asian elephant, was euthanized in July 2026 after a sudden decline in health. Rosie, another 54-year-old Asian elephant, had collapsed during a park fireworks show in 2022, and could not stand for over five hours. She never fully recovered, and was euthanized in November of 2024. 

The remaining elephants are Carina's daughter 36 year old Karnaudi, the 58 year old matriarch Simba, and 57 year old Tina.

The habitat has a big pool, and it looks like they give their elephants lots of enrichment. 

I have not visited Bush Gardens, but I did look at a map of the park. While most of the animals at Busch Gardens live in habitats a little removed from the amusement park, the elephants live right next to coasters and other rides, noisy construction of a new coaster, and there are also fireworks shows, which are controversial regarding the elephants, who would probably prefer peace and quiet. 

Florida, as a warmer weather state, may be more comfortable for the aging elephants during the winter. 

I hope Schottzie and Jati adjust to their new home, and make friends with the three older lady elephants already there. 

Gone too soon -- Louisville Zoo's elephant baby Fitz

 

Two year old Fitz

Terrible news this week, that African Elephant Baby Fitz, just short of his fourth birthday, had been diagnosed with the deadly elephant herpes virus. We all hoped that he would be one of the rare ones who pulled through, but he died Friday night. The last day of June. The last day of Fitz.

                      Fritz with the big ears. Summer of 2022

He would have been four years old on August 2, and I am sure the zoo was already planning what they would do to celebrate his birthday. For Fitz was a phenomenon at the Louisville Zoo, beloved by all who met him, and especially his keepers.

                Fitz following his mom Miki. - January of 2023

Fitz was part of a very unusual mixed herd: his African elephant mother Mikki and his beloved Aunt Punch, who is an Asian elephant. The two ladies have been together at Louisville almost all their lives. Mikki is 38 years old, and Punch is 53 years old.

                     Fitz in January of 2023 - at Punch's birthday party

Fitz was conceived through artificial insemination, the donor father being Jackson, an elephant in Pennsylvania.

                                 Fitz and his dirt pile - January 2023

Fitz was a joy every day of his life, for all those who worked with him, and the many visitors who grew to love him. 

           Fitz at almost two years of age, playing with a block of wood.

                                                   Everything is a toy.

 
                    Fitz at 11 months - playing games with his trunk

When he was little, he spent a lot of time trying to figure out how his trunk worked. That was fun. 

                      Fitz in January 2023 - at Punch's birthday party

Fitz was so curious, always checking things out, running from one thing to another, enjoying what each season had to offer. 

                       Summer of 2021, wallowing in the dirt.

                    July of 2022,  a year ago, Fitz rolling in the mud

He never met a puddle he didn't like, and relished rolling in the dirt and mud. A very messy little boy indeed. Snow was a great adventure too, even though he didn't get very many winters, only four.

                Fitz and his mom in January of 2023

His life was cut short, but it was a life filled with fun and love. He made every day count. He was a very important member of his herd and greatly loved by all the visitors. 

                    July of 2021 - Fitz at almost 2 years old

Mikki had had a previous son, and that did not end well either. Scotty died at age 3 in 2010 of what they called complications of colic, most likely twisted bowel. Jackson was also the donor father for Scotty.

Elephants have complex emotional lives, and great attachments to members of their herd. When a member of the herd dies in the wild, the other elephants hold what seems to be a "wake" where they all take their time saying goodbye to the deceased. It is an important ritual in elephant culture. 

So in a zoo, the keepers allow the other members of the herd to take their time in saying goodbye. It may be especially difficult for Mikki, as she is the mother, but Auntie Punch had a good deal to do with bringing up Baby Fitz.

                                                               Fitz at 6 months

                                                                      Fitz at 6 months

                                                             Fitz at 6 months

                                                                     Fitz at 6 months

It is a difficult time for the keepers too, who had daily contact with the little guy and delighted in watching him grow up, coming up with new things to intrigue the baby as he developed. The elephant house and yard will be so quiet now. 

Good bye, little Fitz. We are glad you came, and so sorry you left so soon.

About EEHV

I am not an expert, but this is some of the information I have gathered about Elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus. 

There are a number of strains of the EEHV, and they affect young elephants in the wild and zoos, more so for the Asian elephants.

                   

 

EEHV is a disease of the young. Very seldom will an elephant over the age of 10 succumb to the disease. Adult elephants carry the virus but it remains dormant. Nursing calves get immunity from their mother's milk, so rarely do they come down with the almost always fatal disease. The danger comes at weaning, and stays through adolescence.

The elephant community has been working for years to find a cure or a vaccine, but so far their results are limited. There are many new treatments, transfusion, anti-virals, and every effort is made to save a young elephant, but it is usually not enough.

         

               Minh-Tan and his mother Douanita in Osnabruck Germany

A few youngsters have recovered, but not many. I recall visiting young Asian elephant Mihn-Tan at Osnabruck Zoo in Germany when he was about a year old in 2019. He became very ill when he was about three years old. Intensive treatment resulted in his recovery after several weeks. He lives in Heidelberg now, very well and happy.  A baby elephant in Chester England also survived the virus.

The list of Asian elephants who have died from EEHV is very long, but only a handful of African elephants have died this way. Four of them: Nyah and Kalina of the Indianapolis Zoo, Lucas of the Toledo Zoo, and now Fitz, are offspring of Jackson.

African Elephant Nyah died at age 7 and her sister Kalina died at age 8, a week apart at the Indianapolis Zoo in 2019. 

            Lucas and his mother Renee in the Toledo Zoo in 2013

Lucas was born June 3, 2011 in the Toledo Zoo, son of Renee and the donor father Jackson. He died of EEHV in April of 2021, ten years old. Renee is now pregnant again and expected to deliver in Spring of 2024. The donor father is again Jackson.

Jackson has fathered a good number of African elephant children that have grown up to be healthy adult elephants.  

Some zoos seem to have avoided EEHV, while others will lose two young ones in quick succession, even though the disease is not actually transmissible. Almost all elephants have some form of the virus but it is dormant. The activation of the virus, already in the animal, seems to be brought on by stress, such as in weaning or some other change of routine. Certainly illness in the elephant house has to be a stressor, and maybe that is why the disease takes one young one after the other.

 

                   Raj in Hagenbeck Zoo, Hamburg Germany, June of 2019

                                                     He died of EEHV in 2022

Hagenbeck Zoo and Chester Zoo have been particularly unlucky. Kanja and Anjuli, Asian elephants of Hagenbeck, died one after the other in 2018, the same year their brother Raj was born. He died of EEHV in 2022. The three elephants share the same father, Gejendra, who is now in Munich and is the father of young Otto who is doing well in Munich, (also Ludwig, who is now 12 years old and in another zoo). I have to wonder if there is a genetic component, that some herds are more vulnerable to triggering of the dormant virus due to their bloodlines. Chester Zoo in England has similar sad stories with the Asian elephant children.

Rosamond Gifford Zoo, in Syracuse NY, is well known recently for the miracle birth of twin baby Asian elephant brothers Yaad and Tukada, born to Mali and Doc in October of 2022.  That zoo saw tragedy in 2020 when Ajay, age 2, died on December 8, and five year old Batu died three days later. Mali and Doc are the parents of the young ones who died. I hope both the twins will continue to stay healthy.

 The disease is dormant in pretty much all elephants, and the danger of it becoming activated is greatest between ages 2 and 8, although Asian elephant Beco in the Columbus Zoo was 13 years old when he died of EEHV a year ago. Lucas of the Toledo Zoo was almost 10 years old when he succumbed, at an age when a young elephant should be presumed safe from this tragedy.

The ABQ Biopark in Albuquerque also experienced the double tragedy of losing two young ones when three year old Asian elephant Thom died on Christmas Day 2021, and his 8 year old sister Jazmine died the day after New Year's.

EEHV is the leading cause of death in young Asian elephants, while African elephants face a much lower risk, but it is still there. Zoos test all the elephants regularly to make sure the virus has not activated, and there are several strains too. But once they detect that the virus is no longer dormant, the affected elephant has but a slim chance to beat it.

The research goes on, and hopefully we will soon have a cure and/or a vaccine to keep this tragedy from recurring.

The Amazing Tale of Tuffi the Elephant

Baby Tuffi of Zoo Wuppertal. Happy First Birthday. little girl.

This tale of two elephants named Tuffi shows how far we have come in our attitudes toward animals. It is no longer acceptable to use polar bears and elephants in circus. Someday soon, hopefully, there will be no more animals forced to perform in circuses, only people who voluntarily risk their lives for the sake of the performance. 

But many many few years ago, one little circus elephant went for the ride of her life. Here is the story of  today's Tuffi the Elephant, and the elephant for whom she was named.


Diese Geschichte über zwei Elefanten namens Tuffi soll zeigen, wie weit unser Verhalten in Bezug auf Tiere gekommen ist. Es wird nicht mehr akzeptiert, dass Eisbären und Elefanten in einem Zirkus gehalten werden können. Eines Tages, so ist die Hoffnung, dürfen keine wilden Tiere mehr benutzt werden in einem Zirkus aufzutreten. Nur Menschen, die das Risiko aufnehmen, in ihren Darbietungen sich zur Schau zu stellen.

Jedoch vor vielen Jahren ergab es sich, dass ein kleiner Zirkus-Elefant die Fahrt seines Lebens antreten sollte. Hier nun die Geschichte von Tuffi, und dem Elefanten, nachdem sie benannt wurde.

Tuffi was born March 16, 2016,
at Zoo Wuppertal in Germany

The City of Wuppertal, Germany is famous today for its great elephant family living in the Wuppertal Zoo, and for the century old Schwebebahn, the revolutionary suspended monorail which opened in 1903 and is still running today as public transportation.

Die Stadt Wuppertal in Deutschland ist heute bekannt für die großartige Elefantenherde, die im Zoo von Wuppertal lebt, und ebenso für die Jahrhunderte alte Schwebebahn, die bahnbrechend eingleisig schwebend im Jahr 1903 eröffnet wurde und bis heute als öffentliches Tranportmittel genutzt wird.

Polar bear Anori lives with Luka in the Wuppertal Zoo.
 She was born there in January of 2012.

From the Wuppertal main train station, you can take the Schwebebhan to the Wuppertal Zoo, where you can meet famous polar bears, climb the mountain to see the lions, and visit the magnificent elephant house and yard, with plenty of room and a large African Elephant family. The visitor will usually find a cute baby elephant or two to admire.

Vom Hauptbahnhof in Wuppertal kann man die Schwebebahn benutzen um in den Zoo von Wuppertal zu gelangen, dort trifft man auf berühmte Eisbären, klettert die Hügel hinauf um die Löwen zu sehen und besucht das prächtige Elefantenhaus und die Anlagen, mit viel Platz für die Familien der Afrikanischen Elefanten. Die Besucher finden manchmal auch einen oder zwei kleine Babyelefanten, die sie bewundern können.

Mother Sabie and Baby Tuffi, 6 moths old in this photo.

The most recent elephant baby addition, Tuffi, will celebrate her first birthday on March 16, 2017. She lives in Wuppertal with her mother Sabie, Sabie's other children 3 year old Moyo, 5 year old Uli, and 9 year old Tika. Daddy Tusker lives next door. Two year old Jogi and his mother Sweni also live with Tuffi. 


Das nun kürzlich hinzu gefügte Elefantenjungtier namens Tuffi feiert ihren ersten Geburtstag am 16. März, 2017. Sie lebt mit ihrer Mutter Sabie sowie Sabies drei älteren Kindern Moyo, 3, Uli 5 und die 9 Jahre alte Tika. Vater Tusker wohnt gleich nebenan. Der 2 Jahre alte Jogi und dessen Mutter Sweni lebt auch mit Tuffis Familie.

Mother Sabie, Baby Tuffi, and big brother Moyo

African Elephant Sabie and her kids

Young Tuffi plays with brother Moyo, and the other elephants. She follows her mother around. She gets a playful bath with the other elephants every morning. Many people come to see her, but she doesn't really care. She just likes to play and run and dance, throw straw in the air, and eat.


Jungtier Tuffi spielt mit ihrem Bruder Moyo und den anderen Elefanten. Sie folgt häufig ihrer Mutter. Jeden Morgen nimmt sie ein planschendes Bad gemeinsam mit den anderen Elefanten. Es kommen viele Menschen sie zu besuchen,aber da kümmert sie sich nicht drum. Sie liebt es zu spielen, zu rennen und zu tänzeln, Stroh in die Luft zu werfen und zu fressen.

Litte Tuffi

This young Tuffi lives a very different life than the original Tuffi, the famous circus elephant.

Diese junge Tuffi hat ein ganz anderes Leben als die Original Tuffi-der berühmte Zirkus Elefant.

Riding the famous Schwebebahn.
 It sways back and forth, and makes a lot of noise, as you travel over the river. It is rather like an amusement park ride.

The car loads from a high platform.
 Tuffi had to climb many stairs to get to the platform

The suspended monorail, the Schwebahn,
 follows the twists and turns of the river through the city of Wuppertal.

A car as it leaves the platform

The other Tuffi, a young Asian Elephant who visited Wuppertal with a travelling circus over a six decades ago, is legendary for her great adventures, especially the story of her short ride on Wuppertal's renowned  hanging monorail.

I know it is cruel that Tuffi was kept in a circus, and that she was made to do these stunts. And yet it is a part of history. We should not forget how animals were treated, just a few decades ago. 


The original Tuffi had been born in India in 1946, sadly kidnapped from her native land, and brought to Germany. It was a brutal practice then to take animals from the wild, to take baby animals from their mothers, to travel around and perform in circuses, or perhaps live in a zoo. Circus owner Franz Althoff bought Tuffi three years later. 


Diese andere Tuffi, ein junger asiatischer Elefant besuchte Wuppertal vor mehr als 60 Jahren, wurde berühmt mit ihrem großen Abenteuer, besonders die die Geschichte ihrer kurzen Fahrt mit der bekannten Wuppertaler Schwebebahn.

Ich weiß daß es grausam ist, daß Tuffi in einem Zirkus gehalten wurde und man sie zwang, all die Stunts zu machen.Auch dies ist ein Teil der Geschichte. Wir dürfen nicht vergessen wie Tiere gehalten wurden, nur einige Jahrzehnte zuvor.

Die eigentliche Tuffi wurde in 1946 in Indien geboren, trauriger Weise aus ihrem Heimatland entführt und nach Deutschland verfrachtet. Es war brutale Prazise Tiere aus der Wildnis zu entnehmen, Tierjunge ihren Müttern zu entreißen, sie herum reisen und im Zirkus auftreten zu lassen, oder vielleicht auch in einem Zoo leben zu müssen. Zirkusbesitzer Franz Althoff kaufte Tuffi drei Jahre später.

Circus elephant Tuffi ready to step into the car

In the footsteps of 19th Century showman P.T. Barnum, Althoff loved publicity stunts. He often involved Tuffi in his clever, attention getting marketing ploys, always making sure the newspaper reporters and photographers were there.

Tuffi was a special little elephant, very trusting and a quick learner. Wherever the Althoff Circus went, Tuffi was called upon to perform special tricks, such as driving a tram, presenting flowers to the mayor of Oberhausen, riding in a boat, or hauling a case of beer up to some bricklayers in Solingen.


In den Fußstapfen vom Schausteller des 19. Jahrhunderts P.T.Barnum liebte auch Althoff öffentliche Stunts. Häufig ließ er Tuffi in seine Publikumswirksamen Tricks agieren, und ließ es auch werbewirksam auf Zeitungsreporter und Fotographen zeigen.

Tuffi war ein besonderer kleiner Elefant, sehr zutraulich und lernte auch schnell. Woimmer der Zirkus Althoff hinzog wurde Tuffi gerufen, um besondere Tricks zu zeigen wie eine Tram zu fahren, dem Bürgermeister von Oberhausen einen Blumenstrauß zu überreichen, in einem Boot zu fahren oder für einige Maurer in Solingen einen Kasten Bier zu transportieren.

Tuffi in the car, crowded with photographers and reporters.
 No wonder she panicked.

Since the city of Wuppertal was world famous for the Schwebebahn, and since Tuffi was used to riding in a train, Circus owner Franz Althoff stupidly thought up a wild plan to get some free publicity for his circus. If the little 4 year old elephant would ride the famous suspended railway in Wuppertal, with all the newspaper reporters and photographers lined up to document the event, he would sell many more tickets to his circus. He even got the approval of a Schwebebahn official for the stunt.

At 10 a.m. on July 21, 1950, Tuffi put her trunk through the grate at the Schwebebahn ticket window at the Alter Markt station, and Althoff asked for five second class tickets, four of which were for the young elephant. Just before 10:30 a.m.Tuffi and her handlers climbed the stairs, and squeezed through the doors on Car 13. The car was soon filled photographers and the press, to document this spectacular event.



As soon as the car began to move, it became clear that Tuffi did not like the swaying motion, or the squeaks of the train. Car 13 was overcrowded, for no one wanted to miss the spectacle. The photographers were flashing lights in Tuffi's face. Just before arriving at the next station at Adlerbrucke, Tuffi panicked and broke through the window, falling 39 feet, splashing down into the Wupper River below. Fortunately, the Schwebebahn straddles the river, and follows its curves. Tuffi was only scratched up a bit, but several reporters were hurt, a camera was broken, and the rail car had a big elephant-sized hole in the side where the window should be.

Weil die Wuppertal weltberühmt ist für die Schwebebahn, und weil Tuffi es gewöhnt war Eisenbahn zu fahren, dachte Franz Althoff sich dummerweise einen unüberlegten Plan 

aus um  Kostenfreie Aufmerksamkeit für seinen Zirkus zu erregen. Wenn es möglich wäre, das vierjährige Elefantenmädchen dazu zu bewegen, die Schwebebahn in Wuppertal zu besteigen und zu fahren, mit all den Zeitungsreportern und Fotographen, die über dieses Ereignis berichten könnten würde er auch viel mehr Eintrittskarten für den Zirkus verkaufen. Vom Verantwortlichen der Schwebebahn bekam er auch eine Genehmigung diesen Stunt zu vorzuführen.  


Um 10 Uhr am Morgen des 21. Juli 1950 steckte Tuffi ihren Rüssel durch das Gitter des Kartenfensters an der Alter Markt Station und Althoff orderte 5 zweiter Klasse Tickets, vier davon waren für den kleinen Elefanten. Kurz vor 10:30 Uhr erklommen Tuffi und ihre Begleiter die Stufen und quetschen sich durch die Tür von Wagen Nr. 13. Bald war das Abteil mit Fotographen und Reporter gefüllt, die dieses Spektakel dokumentieren wollten.

Sobald nun der Zug anfuhr war es klar, daß Tuffi diese schaukelnde Bewegung nicht mochte, ebenso wenig die quietschen Geräusche des Zuges. Wagen Nr.13 war total überfüllt, da niemand dieses Spektakel missen wollte.Die Fotographen hielten die Blitzlichter in Tuffi's Augen. Kurz vor Ankunft der nächsten Station Adlerbruck bekam Tuffi Panik und zerbrach das Fenster, sie fiel 39 feet, dann in die Wupper unter ihr. Glücklicherweise folgt die Schwebebahn dem Fluss und dem Verlauf der Kurven. Tuffi war nur ein wenig zerkratzt, jedoch einige Reporter hatten Verletzungen, eine Kamera zerbrach und und das Zugabteil hatte ein Elefantengroßes Loch wo das Fenster hätte sein sollen.

An old post card tells the story of Tuffi.
The illustration of the elephant falling from the car is an artist's depiction, NOT a photo.

Tuffi was rescued from the river by Althoff, relatively uninjured, and she performed in the circus that night. Althoff and the official who allowed the plan went to court and had to pay a fine for their scheme, for animals are not allowed on the Schwebebahn.

Tuffi wurde dann von Althoff an Land gebracht, nahezu unverletzt, und am Abend trat sie schon wieder in der Manege auf. Althoff und auch der Verantwortlicher wurde vor Gericht gebracht und mussten eine Strafe für ihren Plan bezahlen, da es nicht erlaubt ist Tiere mit in die Schwebebahn zu nehmen.

Althoff leads Tuffi up the riverbank after her leap.

Tuffi climbs out of the Wupper River

Tuffi travelled for 18 more years with Franz Althoff, and was sold to a French circus in 1968, where she continued to perform, Her dive into the Wupper River became legendary. Tuffi was even more famous. After a long life with her circus family she died in Paris in 1989 at the age of 43. 

Tuffi reiste  fast 18 Jahre mit Franz Althoff, danach wurde sie 1968 an einen französischen Zirkus verkauft, wo sie weiterhin Vorstellungen gab. Ihr Bad in die Wupper war legendär, Tuffi wurde dadurch noch bekannter. Nach einem langen Leben mit ihrer Zirkusfamilie verstarb sie 1989 in Paris im Alter von 43 Jahren.

Tuffi made front page news.  She was lucky she landed in the river.

The first Tuffi has had books written about her, and there is an elephant painted on a building near the spot where she fell into the river. The City of Wuppertal is still talking about her.


Über die erste Tuffi wurden viele Bücher geschrieben, und es gibt eine gemaltes Bild eines Elefanten an einem Gebäude nahe der Stelle, an der sie in den Fluß fiel. In der Stadt Wuppertal  spricht man noch häufig darüber.

There are story books about Tuffi.

It is a tribute to the first Tuffi that there is a young girl elephant with her name, living in Wuppertal. If you are ever in Wuppertal, ride the Schwebebahn and visit the second Miss Tuffi in the Wuppertal Zoo.

Es ist ein Tribut an die erste Tuffi, dass ein Elefantenmädchen nun ihren Namen trägt und im Zoo von Wuppertal lebt. Wenn Du jemals nach Wuppertal kommst, besteige die Schwebebahn und besuche die zweite Miss Tuffi im Wuppertaler Zoo.

Tuffi and her mom, living peacefully in the zoo.

Thanks to Marga Andresen Gransow for the German translation.