Hello to everyone within this group. I am an ex elephant keeper hope to engage in some interesting chat with you.
Good morning. I have not been working in that environment for 17 years. I noticed on here a topic of cricket st Thomas...and the departure of there elephants. Having been there just prior to that time in 1996. I wrote an account... (only from what I witnessed). This account gives in detail the attempt made to rebreak and retrain three of the four female Asian elephants at that time. Chikki. Millie. Toto. Nika was considered not an issue so was left be...very amenable ...
I used to go to Cricket a lot and got to know some of the keepers towards the end of elephants at Cricket keepers seem to come and go,I think a keeper came from Dudley who was there only a couple of months,I used to go in the house barn? a lot the bull pen was so small ,I think a keeper came from London Zoo to take over and took the last three elephants to Spain.Chikki,Nika,Toto,I think Millie died in 1996?.
It may well.be that we have met. I arrived just prior to Dave Snyder. Who's reputation was shall we say unorthodox.
Yes I agree but he did seem to get the elephants under control,I think it may have been Chikki ? used to throw rocks at people in the outdoor enclosure,and was it Chikki who ended up living in the bull pen when the door electric was opened did she charge the door if you did not get out of the way quick enough.?
Were you actually zoo staff working at this establishment? No offence intended here But I am not about to indulge in conjecture. People who.have a real desire to know of the facts are free to pm me
No was not staff,but went to Cricket for must be twenty years ,what I posted above did happen,not sure if it was Chikki? They should never have taken Sahib the bull from Belfast,he was a big animal saw him in the bull pen a number of times had no tusks I think,John Taylor was told by other zoos not to take him,am not against elephants in zoos,but Cricket should never have kept them.
Welcome to Zoochat! I hope you enjoy the community here. As a huge fan of the great Siam, Sahib's father it'd be great if you could tell us more about Sahib the other elephants, and your time at Cricket St. Thomas.
I studied at Bicton and the guy that ran the animal care centre had been a keeper at Cricket St Thomas. He was a very 'interesting' person with some questionable stories about his time there.
In 1996. Whilst employed there I kept a journal of events... This was regarding the ongoing cruelty there towards the female elephants... Toto... Chilli. Millie... But not the elderly female.... It is about time people were aware of this past atrocity. At my incoming time there sahib had already been shot and buried... another story altogether perhaps. The name Dave Snyder... If anyone is aware of that name...is paramount to what happened at cricket st Thomas....
I met Dave Snyder a few times he had come from London Zoo to take over the elephants at Cricket,American I think.Am not going to defend him again when the last three females left Cricket he went with them to Spain I wonder if you went as well,?.The problems at Cricket were long standing,at one time there was one elephant keeper to look after five animals,I met a lot of keepers over the years and I think they all did there best in difficult times,the killing of Sahib just before Xmas 94 he was shot a number of times was unforgivable.
I think if you have questions you should private message me in some form...and readress the conversation there...
My husband, as a small child, was attacked by an elephant at Cricket St Thomas. It would have been about 1973. He was lifted by its trunk into the enclosure, over the moat. Luckily his elder brother managed to get him out, the elephant charged him and broke a number of ribs before he also managed to escape. He thought the elephant was called Tiny but I suspect it may have been Twiggy. They were given a cup of tea at the big house and sent home. Apparently it was reported in the Daily Mirror.
Twiggy (also known as Susan) came to Cricket St. Thomas in 1969 as a three year old. She left around 1975 and eventually ended up at Belgrade Zoo, where she remains to this day. This is Twiggy’s database page here: Twiggy (Susan) at Belgrade Zoo in Serbia - Elephant Encyclopedia and Database You can read more about the history of Cricket St. Thomas’ elephants here: A history of Elephants at Cricket St. Thomas [Cricket St Thomas] Aaaa
Thank you. I have never seen this incident recorded anywhere. I understand that Twiggy has had a long history of aggressive behaviour - both before and after. Hide quoted text
You’re welcome. Yes, the elephant database notes that Glasgow Zoo were unable to cope with her aggressive behaviour and consequently kept her in chains; while in 1990, she attacked an elderly man who entered her exhibit to retrieve his grandchild. To be fair, this wouldn’t have been an unusual response to an intruder by an elephant and perfectly placid elephants (e.g. Kashin at Auckland Zoo) have reacted similarly in the past.
