The famous large elephant exhibited at the London Zoo in the 19th century was Jumbo. Born in Sudan around 1860, this male African bush elephant became one of the Victorian era’s most celebrated animal attractions.
Jumbo arrived at the London Zoo in 1865 after spending time at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. His enormous size made him a public favorite, and he carried visitors—including children—on rides. His keeper, Matthew Scott, developed a close relationship with him.
In 1882, the zoo sold Jumbo to the American showman P. T. Barnum. The decision caused a public uproar in Britain; reportedly, 100,000 schoolchildren wrote to Queen Victoria asking her to stop the sale. Barnum exhibited Jumbo in the United States, where huge crowds helped make him a circus sensation.
Jumbo died in 1885 after being struck by a locomotive in St. Thomas, Ontario. His name helped create the modern English use of “jumbo” for something exceptionally large. He is sometimes confused with Dumbo, the fictional flying elephant from Disney.