Tusko
Encyclopedia
Tusko is a popular name given to elephant
s in captivity. Several notable elephants have been given this moniker.
captured at age 6 in Siam (now Thailand
). He stood just five feet high when he was unloaded from a sailing ship at New York harbor
in 1898.
By 1922 he was touted as "The Meanest Elephant" as well as "the largest elephant ever in captivity", though at 10-feet-2-inches tall (3.1 meters), he was seven inches shorter than Jumbo
. Nonetheless, Tusko was a ton heavier than Jumbo and was the largest elephant in North America
since Jumbo. The tusks which earned him his name were about seven feet long (213 centimeters).
No other circus
wanted Tusko and he spent some time in an exhibition road show, accompanied by his keeper and lifelong devotee, young George "Slim" Lewis. Tusko ended his days in the Seattle Zoo
, dying of a blood clot
on June 10, 1933.
at the Oklahoma City
Zoo
. On August 3, 1962, researchers from the University of Oklahoma
administered 297 mg of LSD
(lysergic acid diethylamide) to him, which is roughly 1,000 times the dose typical of human recreational use. Within five minutes he collapsed to the ground and one hour and forty minutes later he died. It is believed that the LSD was the cause of his death, although some speculate that the drugs the researchers used in an attempt to revive him may have contributed to his death.
. He was born in the wild, and estimated to have been born in 1971. Tusko recently underwent two surgeries to have his tusks removed due to infection.
Tusko has also successfully mated with Rose-Tu, the at-the-time youngest elephant. On August 23, 2008, she delivered her first offspring, a male called Samudra and nicknamed Sam. She and Tusko again mated successfully in 2011, and her second calf is due late 2012. Currently there are plans for Tusko to also mate with the zoo's other two females, Shine and Chendra, as well as with Rose-Tu again when Sam is weaned. In 2011 Tusko fathered a second offspring, again with Rose-Tu. Tusko arrived at the Oregon Zoo in June 2005 on a breeding loan. He has successfully sired three calves in the past; two while living in Canada and one in California.
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s in captivity. Several notable elephants have been given this moniker.
Tusko: "The Meanest Elephant"
Formerly known as "Ned," this Tusko was a giant circus elephantElephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
captured at age 6 in Siam (now Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
). He stood just five feet high when he was unloaded from a sailing ship at New York harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
in 1898.
By 1922 he was touted as "The Meanest Elephant" as well as "the largest elephant ever in captivity", though at 10-feet-2-inches tall (3.1 meters), he was seven inches shorter than Jumbo
Jumbo
Jumbo was a large African Bush Elephant, born 1861 in the French Sudan – present-day Mali – imported to a Paris zoo, transferred to the London Zoo in 1865, and sold in 1882 to P. T...
. Nonetheless, Tusko was a ton heavier than Jumbo and was the largest elephant in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
since Jumbo. The tusks which earned him his name were about seven feet long (213 centimeters).
No other circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
wanted Tusko and he spent some time in an exhibition road show, accompanied by his keeper and lifelong devotee, young George "Slim" Lewis. Tusko ended his days in the Seattle Zoo
Woodland Park Zoo
Woodland Park Zoo is a zoological garden around the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Occupying the western half of Woodland Park, the zoo began as a small menagerie on the estate of Guy C. Phinney, a Canadian-born lumber mill owner and real estate developer...
, dying of a blood clot
Thrombosis
Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. When a blood vessel is injured, the body uses platelets and fibrin to form a blood clot to prevent blood loss...
on June 10, 1933.
Tusko: "The elephant on LSD"
"Tusko" was also the name of a male Indian elephantIndian Elephant
The Indian Elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, and native to mainland Asia. Since 1986, Elephas maximus has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years...
at the Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
Zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
. On August 3, 1962, researchers from the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
administered 297 mg of LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
(lysergic acid diethylamide) to him, which is roughly 1,000 times the dose typical of human recreational use. Within five minutes he collapsed to the ground and one hour and forty minutes later he died. It is believed that the LSD was the cause of his death, although some speculate that the drugs the researchers used in an attempt to revive him may have contributed to his death.
Tusko: An elephant at the Portland, Oregon Zoo
An Asian elephant by the name "Tusko" currently resides at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He was born in the wild, and estimated to have been born in 1971. Tusko recently underwent two surgeries to have his tusks removed due to infection.
Tusko has also successfully mated with Rose-Tu, the at-the-time youngest elephant. On August 23, 2008, she delivered her first offspring, a male called Samudra and nicknamed Sam. She and Tusko again mated successfully in 2011, and her second calf is due late 2012. Currently there are plans for Tusko to also mate with the zoo's other two females, Shine and Chendra, as well as with Rose-Tu again when Sam is weaned. In 2011 Tusko fathered a second offspring, again with Rose-Tu. Tusko arrived at the Oregon Zoo in June 2005 on a breeding loan. He has successfully sired three calves in the past; two while living in Canada and one in California.