How Jennie Came to Hate Bolivar - 1889

St. Lawrence Republican, Ogdenburg, N.Y. 19 June 1889


How Jenny of the Zoo Has Come to Hate Bolivar.

Bolivar, the big elephant at the Zoo, has fallen desperately in love with Empress, who is not near so large and who is just sixteen years old. Bolivar is so struck on Empress that he acts just as silly toward her as some young fellow spooning with his sweetheart. Bolivar sees that Empress gets gets the best hay that comes to their pen, and he sees that she gets the biggest of the peanuts that are thrown through the bars by the visitors. Jenny the other female elephant, is so jealous of Bolivar's attentions to Empress that she gets in a rage whenever she sees Bolivar flirting with her rival. Jenny is older than Empress, and when Bolivar first came to live with them Jenny was very good to Bolivar and made things as pleasant for him that she could. Bolivar showed his nature soon afterward.  He flirted with Jenny and led her to believe that he thought more of her than he did of Empress. Of late he was ignored her entirely.

Jenny did not get angry with Empress, but she had learned to hate Bolivar with all the hatred of her heart. She doubled up the other day and jabbed him in the side and knocked him down. Bolivar fell sprawling on the stone floor. He was so mortified at being knocked down by Jenny in the presence of Empress that he got up in a fury and beat Jenny unmercifully with his trunk. Jenny was finally chained and yesterday she glared at Bolivar as if she would like to eat him. Bolivar made several attempts during the day to jab Jenny with his short tusks, but he couldn't reach her.

Head-keeper Byrne said:

"Bolivar is so angry at Jenny that he would kill her if he got a chance. It isn't likely that we will let Bolivar bathe in the big pool this summer, although Jenny and Empress will bathe every afternoon at four o'clock after the 4th of July. Bolivar can't be trusted."

Superintendent Brown said:

"Bolivar is hard to handle. If we were to let him loose he might do a good deal of damage before we could chain him up again". -- Philadelphia Times.