Dunk (elephant)
Encyclopedia
Asian Elephant
The Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
possibly from Ceylon, was the first elephant to reside at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He was gifted to the National Zoo on April 30, 1891 by James E. Cooper, owner and manager of the Adam Forepaugh
Adam Forepaugh
Adam John Forepaugh was an American entrepreneur, businessman, and circus owner. He owned and operated a circus from 1865 through 1890 under various names including Forepaugh's Circus, The Great Forepaugh Show, The Adam Forepaugh Circus, and Forepaugh & The Wild West.-Biography:Forepaugh was born...
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...
.
When Dunk first arrived at the National Zoo, he had no shelter and was tied to a tree with his companion Gold Dust
Gold Dust (elephant)
Gold Dust was a male Asian elephant that resided at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. from April 30, 1891 until his death. He was indefinitely lent to the National Zoo as a companion for Dunk by the Adam Forepaugh Circus...
to prevent him from wandering. Once a day, both elephants were walked to Rock Creek
Rock Creek
-Streams:* Rock Creek * Rock Creek , disambiguation* Rock Creek * Rock Creek , in Illinois* Rock Creek , in Maryland and the District of Columbia* Rock Creek , in Missoula County...
to swim. A temporary structure, known as the Octagonal House was eventually built for the elephants. Construction on a permanent, brick elephant house, designed by Hornblower & Marshall
Hornblower & Marshall
Hornblower & Marshall was a Washington, D.C.-based architectural firm that was a partnership between Joseph Coerten Hornblower and James Rush Marshall . The firm designed numerous substantial government and other buildings, a number of which have been listed on the U.S...
, began in September 1902 and was completed in January 1903.
Dunk had been ill throughout the winter of 1917. On March 30 of that year, after breaking his shoulder from a fall, keeper William Blackburne euthanized
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
him by shooting.
Despite a famous ill-temper, Dunk was popular with the children of Washington, D.C. To commemorate his memory, they raised money for a plaque, which remains in the elephant house at the National Zoo today.
