Gallery
Fanny at Slater Park
Fanny's original bill of sale to the City of Pawtucket, 1958
Fanny's now vacant barn & enclosure in Pawtucket, 2009
Sculpture of Fanny in Slater Park
Fanny sculpture dedication plaque
Fanny was a female Asian elephant who spent the majority of her life in a small zoo in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
Born in the wild in Asia, Fanny was purchased from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1958 by the City of Pawtucket for $2,500. Fanny became a symbol of the city and spent more than three decades in Pawtucket at the Slater Park Zoo, now called Daggett Farm. While at the Slater Park Zoo, once named one of the worst zoos in America by the TV show 60 Minutes ,[ citation needed ] Fanny was housed in a small barn, with only a tiny, barren enclosure in which to walk and was also chained by her back leg.
In 1993, the city council closed the zoo, but citizens clashed over Fanny's fate. Mayor Robert Metvier was accused of playing politics for trying to keep her there after the council voted to let her leave Pawtucket. [1] A coalition of groups including the HSUS, the Free Fanny Coalition, and the Fund for Animals [2] eventually won her freedom, and, during the night of June 7, 1993, [3] she began her 36-hour journey to the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas. [4] While at the ranch, Fanny, renamed Tara, dropped 1,800 lb (820 kg) of unhealthy weight and was given something she had not had in decades—an elephant companion named Conga.
Fanny lived at the Black Beauty ranch until her death in August 2003. She was 63 years old, according to the ranch. Upon learning of her death, The Providence Journal ran an obituary for Fanny. [5] In 2007, the City of Pawtucket dedicated a fiberglass sculpture to her, which stands within sight of Fanny's barn. [6]
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 75,604 at the 2020 census, making the city the fourth-largest in the state. Pawtucket borders Providence and East Providence to the south, Central Falls and Lincoln to the north, and North Providence to the west; to its east-northeast, the city borders the Massachusetts municipalities of Seekonk and Attleboro.
The National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo, is one of the oldest zoos in the United States. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution and does not charge admission. Founded in 1889, its mission is to "provide engaging experiences with animals and create and share knowledge to save wildlife and habitats".
The Honolulu Zoo is a 42-acre (17 ha) zoo in Queen Kapiʻolani Park in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. It is the only zoo in the United States to be established by grants made by a sovereign monarch and is built on part of the 300-acre (121 ha) royal Queen Kapiʻolani Park. The Honolulu Zoo features over 1,230 animals in specially designed habitats.
The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a 133-acre (54 ha) zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California. The city of Los Angeles owns the zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals. Animal care, grounds maintenance, construction, education, public information, and administrative staff are city employees. As of June 2019, Denise M. Verret serves as the zoo's director, the first female African American director of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited institution.
The Maryland Zoo — also known as The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and formerly known as The Baltimore City Zoo or the Baltimore Zoo — is a 135-acre park located in historic Druid Hill Park in the northwestern area of the City of Baltimore, Maryland, (U.S.A.), with the postal address of 1876 Mansion House Drive. Druid Hill was opened in 1876 as the first major park purchase by the City under foreseeing Mayor Thomas Swann (1809-1883), and was later designed by famed nationally-known landscaper Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), with additional work on various park buildings contributed by future Baltimore City Hall architect George A. Frederick (1842-1924), and Park Commissioner John H.B. Latrobe, who also was an accomplished lawyer, author, artist, amateur architect and civic leader. Olmsted had earlier won a contest for the design of plans for New York City's famed Central Park in mid-town Manhattan in 1858, a year after it opened, and worked on the massive public works project during its construction from 1858 to 1873. The Maryland Zoo is now currently home to over 2,000 animals, and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
The Prospect Park Zoo is a 12-acre (4.9 ha) zoo located off Flatbush Avenue on the eastern side of Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York City. As of 2016, the zoo houses 864 animals representing about 176 species, and as of 2007, it averages 300,000 visitors annually. The Prospect Park Zoo is operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). In conjunction with the Prospect Park Zoo's operations, the WCS offers children's educational programs, is engaged in restoration of endangered species populations, runs a wildlife theater, and reaches out to the local community through volunteer programs.
The Como Park Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory are located in Como Park at 1225 Estabrook Drive, Saint Paul, Minnesota. The park, zoo and conservatory are owned by the City of Saint Paul and are a division of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation. Its attractions include the zoo, the conservatory, an amusement park, a carousel, Lake Como, a golf course, a pool and more. The park receives more than 1.9 million visitors annually. Como Park is a free park and while no admission fee is charged for the zoo or conservatory, voluntary donations of $4 per adult and $2 child are suggested.
Blackpool Zoo is a 32-acre (13 ha) zoo, owned by Parques Reunidos and located in the sea-side resort of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It provides a home to over 1,350 animals from all over the world.
The Indianapolis Zoo is a 64-acre (26 ha) non-profit zoo, public aquarium, and botanical garden in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Incorporated in 1944, the Indianapolis Zoological Society established the first zoo at George Washington Park in 1964. The current zoo opened in 1988 at White River State Park near downtown Indianapolis. It is among the largest privately funded zoos in the U.S.
The Fort Worth Zoo is a zoo in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, that was founded in 1909 with one lion, two bear cubs, an alligator, a coyote, a peacock and a few rabbits. The zoo now is home to 7,000 native and exotic animals and has been named as a top zoo in the nation by Family Life magazine, the Los Angeles Times and USA Today, as well as one of the top zoos in the South by Southern Living Reader's Choice Awards.
The Sacramento Zoo is a zoo located in William Land Park in Sacramento, California. It opened on June 2, 1927, with 40 animals. At that time, it occupied 4.2 acres (1.7 ha), which remained the case until the early 1960s when the zoo expanded to its current 14.3 acres (5.8 ha). As of December 2012, the zoo had just over 500 animals on site.
The Edmonton Valley Zoo is a zoo located in Edmonton, Alberta's river valley. The Edmonton Valley Zoo is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton and is open 364 days a year, closing only on Christmas. The zoo is currently accredited by Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums and is one of three accredited zoos in Alberta.
The Roger Williams Park Zoo of Providence, Rhode Island, contains more than 150 animals from around the world in natural settings. In 1986, it became the first zoo in New England to earn accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Founded in 1872, it is the third oldest zoo in the nation.
The Kansas City Zoo is a 202-acre (82 ha) zoo founded in 1909. It is located in Swope Park at 6800 Zoo Drive Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. The zoo has a Friends of the Zoo program. It is home to more than 1,700 animals and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
The Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is a non-profit zoological organization located at Dreher Park in West Palm Beach. The zoo houses hundreds of animals, many of them endangered, within 23-acres of lush tropical habitat. The Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The Jackson Zoo is a zoo that was established in 1919 in Jackson, Mississippi and exhibits over 120 species and approximately 250 individual animals, providing the public the opportunity to observe and study wildlife from around the world and region. The Jackson Zoo is in the historic 110-acre (0.45 km2) Livingston Park and welcomes approximately 85,000 visitors annually from Mississippi and surrounding states. 20,000 school children make their way to the zoo throughout the school year.
Slater Park is the oldest and largest public park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The park is named after Samuel Slater, a famous American industrialist who constructed America's first water-powered textile mill in Pawtucket. The park lies on the banks of the beautiful Ten Mile River and features the 1685 Daggett House, the oldest house in Pawtucket. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It also features an original Looff Carousel.
Slater Park Zoo is a former zoo in Pawtucket, Rhode Island that operated until the mid-1990s.
Tricia was a female Asian elephant which resided at Perth Zoo in Perth, Western Australia. She was born in 1957 in Vietnam and was transported to Perth in 1963. Tricia was named after Tricia Reschke, the Miss Australia from the previous year. Tricia's health began to decline in 2016 and significantly worsened in 2022. She lived to be one of the oldest Asian elephants in the world.