She had been shipped to Honolulu to perform at the Neal S. It was August 20, 1994, and Tyke the elephant had recently arrived in Hawaii. Pinterest Tyke was shot 87 times after killing her trainer and injuring her groomer. But tragically, no one heeded the warning signs. “Then I knew she was a runner,” Taylor said, fearing that the next outburst would be worse. During that show, she literally shook her handlers off and attempted to escape. And in April 1993, Tyke became especially enraged during a performance in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Her former handler Sally Joseph admitted that she was “an unhappy camper.” But instead of backing down, Tyke began to rebel.įrom attacking trainers to running amok in the arena, it was obvious that Tyke wanted to leave the circus.

But there’s no question that her living conditions were inhumane.Ĭhained up for 22 hours per day, Tyke the elephant spent her remaining time in training sessions - which often involved shouting, denigration, and abuse. Some of her former trainers - like Tyrone Taylor - claimed to have a deep affection for Tyke. Like many elephants captured in the wild and sold to the Hawthorn Corporation, Tyke was forced into abusive servitude as a circus performer early on.īorn in the early 1970s in Mozambique, Tyke was snatched up as a baby and pressured into rigorous training from a young age. And sadly, her experience was no anomaly. The Life Of Tyke The Elephantįacebook Tyke with her trainer, Tyrone Taylor, after one of her multiple escape attempts.Īs chronicled in the 2015 documentary Tyke Elephant Outlaw, Tyke didn’t have an easy life. But sadly, it didn’t last long before she was cornered by police - and gunned down by 87 bullets. Running through the streets outside, Tyke enjoyed more freedom than she’d seen in about two decades. Desperate to escape, she then made a mad dash for the exit. Not only did she kill her trainer, but she also seriously injured her groomer - much to the horror of the audience. Blaisdell Center for yet another show.īut Tyke had other plans. The 21-year-old animal was soon ushered into the Neal S. After several performances on the mainland United States, Tyke had been shipped to Honolulu. Unfortunately, that fateful day in 1994 saw the streets of Hawaii run red with elephant blood. But it was only a matter of time before she fought back. Sadly, she then endured years of abuse by her handlers. Shipped to the United States, Tyke was quickly sold off to the Hawthorn Corporation - a company that supplied animals to circuses. Wikimedia Commons After she fled the circus arena, Tyke the elephant ran wild on the streets of Honolulu.Ĭaptured from Mozambique as a baby in 1973, Tyke the elephant was trained as a circus animal from an early age.

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