The smallest elephant ever brought to Western Australia is now in Mr. Le Souef's charge in the zoological Gardens. He is only a baby and is about as small as an elephant could be, standing about 3ft. 6in. in height. That he is not very big is proved by the fact that he was conveyed from Fremantle to the gardens in a cart. The little fellow strongly objected to this mode of conveyance, and struggled to reach the ground, but his desire was frustrated by Mr. Le Souef, by the head keeper, and another keeper who traveled in the cart with him.
At one stage of the journey his roars frightened the horse drawing the cart, and to add to his discomfort of the human occupants, a bolt occurred. Captain McDonald, the commander of the Gracchus, brought the new arrival from Calcutta, and entrusted him to the care of Mr. Le Souef for a few months, in order that he may be acclimatised. Our illustration shows the elephant being landed from the steamer Gracchus at Fremantle. |
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