John Sutherland joined Sean Moncrieff to discuss his book ‘Jumbo - The Unauthorised Biography of a Victorian Sensation’.

Jumbo was born in 1861 in French Sudan, imported to a Parisian zoo and later sold on to London Zoo where for seventeen years he entertained children, during this time he was being tortured and ill treated at night to keep him docile.

Like most captive elephants he did not cope well in zoos in either Paris or London and Sutherland makes clear that elephants are not pets.

Jumbo was given alcohol to tame him however the claustrophobic animal became increasingly violent and prone to self-harming, he wore away his tusks.  

He reached worldwide fame when he was bought by the American showman and scam artist P.T. Barnum in 1881.

This was despite letters from 100,000 British schoolchildren who wrote to Queen Victoria begging her to stop the sale of their beloved elephant.

When Jumbo joined the circus, he received better treatment than in the zoos.

He was transformed into a lucrative circus act and into one of the most loved animals of all time.

Jumbo was never allowed to retire after his traumatic life, he met his end on train tracks in Canada, Sutherland speculates he may have chosen to take his own life.