Murray Hill's Blog Spot

Looking for "Bones" Craig

2008-07-07T03:13:00.001-05:00

Looking for "Bones" Craig

2008-07-07T02:40:00.001-05:00

Does anyone know where "Bones" Craig is?

Dutchess and Tori

2007-01-23T07:24:00.000-06:00

Having fun while I was in hidding with them.

My Right Hand and her Friend

2007-01-23T07:23:00.000-06:00

The very 1st EMA Logo

2007-01-23T07:22:00.000-06:00

Sabu Moreau 1957 or 1958

2007-01-23T07:21:00.000-06:00

All these say is Bella age 1 1/2

2007-01-23T07:19:00.000-06:00

Don't know which Bella or who sent them to me.

More photos found and help needed to identify

2007-01-23T07:17:00.000-06:00

All this one says on the back is ...Vasha 8/89

More photos found and help needed to identify

2007-01-23T07:15:00.000-06:00

More photos found and help needed to identify..... All it says on these is Beau....

Do you know who this elephant is?

2007-01-23T07:01:00.000-06:00

Found these photos in a box and don't know what elephant it is. Email me if you know who it is.

Photos by Nick

2006-12-16T00:29:00.000-06:00

Tina and Jewel

Photos by Nick

2006-12-16T00:21:00.000-06:00

Tina and Jewel

Photo by Nick

2006-12-15T23:48:00.000-06:00

Adam, Tina and Jewel at winter quarters Deland 2006 January

Photos by Nick

2006-12-15T23:37:00.000-06:00

Adam and Tina January 06 Deland Florida

Betty has a MY SPACE

2006-11-18T00:12:00.000-06:00

She now has over 102 friends.

Photos from Adam

2006-10-28T01:15:00.000-05:00

Bonnie Bale in one of her anouncing costumes.

Photos from Adam

2006-10-28T01:12:00.000-05:00

Midway on Walker Bros. 2004

Photos from Adam

2006-10-28T01:09:00.000-05:00

Walking the camels through a church in Deland Fl. for Christmas Mass

Photo from Adam

2006-09-18T06:55:00.000-05:00

This our set up on Walker. We have already taken down the awning for packing up. It just rained cat & dogs just before this photo.

Photo from Adam

2006-09-18T06:54:00.000-05:00

Here we are doing elephant rides at a church in Deland Fl ( whitch is Winter Quarters for Cole Bros.) In April 2005.

Photos from Adam

2006-09-18T06:50:00.000-05:00

This is a pic of Tina and I on Cole in 2001

2006-09-10T23:50:00.001-05:00

Recently imported Chimpanzees in the middle 1960's.

2006-09-10T23:50:00.000-05:00

Mitie Mites & Beenie

2006-09-10T23:49:00.000-05:00

Beenie chasing Polish Crested Chickens in the barn in Burlington WI - 1960's

2006-09-10T23:48:00.000-05:00

The Mitie-Mites in a High School Gym in the late 1960's

2006-09-10T23:45:00.000-05:00

Mitie Mites & Beenie

2006-09-10T23:44:00.000-05:00

Mitie Mites

2006-09-10T23:34:00.000-05:00

Mitie Mites

2006-09-10T23:33:00.000-05:00

Mitie Mites

2006-09-10T23:32:00.000-05:00

Mitie Mites

2006-09-10T23:31:00.000-05:00

Marcan Josip

2006-09-10T23:30:00.000-05:00

Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus

2006-09-10T23:29:00.000-05:00

European Act

2006-09-10T23:27:00.000-05:00

Col Francis Ferari 1902

2006-09-10T23:26:00.000-05:00

Bob McPhearson 1928

2006-09-10T23:25:00.000-05:00

1952 Circus Roland

2006-09-10T23:23:00.000-05:00

Photos from Adam via Buckles

2006-09-10T21:18:00.000-05:00

Photos from Adam via Buckles

2006-09-10T21:17:00.000-05:00

Photos from Adam via Buckles

2006-09-10T21:13:00.000-05:00

Photos from Adam via Buckles

2006-09-10T21:11:00.000-05:00

Photos from Adam via Buckles

2006-09-10T21:08:00.000-05:00

Photos from Adam via Buckles

2006-09-10T21:06:00.000-05:00

Photos from Adam via Buckles

2006-09-10T20:56:00.000-05:00

Photo from Adam and Bonnie

2006-09-10T02:10:00.000-05:00

Roxann D'Ambrosa a freind and Tina & Jewell in WQ 11/2004

Photo from Adam and Bonnie

2006-09-10T02:08:00.000-05:00

Bonnie and I with Tina on Royal Hanneford circus in Maryland 7/2004 Waiting for openning.

I'm directing this to the Animal Right Activists

2006-09-08T08:25:00.000-05:00

I have been watching the counter on my blog. I see the results are doing well and I assume that many of these people are animal activists keeping track of what I feel and believe.

If you people would read the top of the page I would welcome your views on our pictures and my views. I will NOT add vulgar or abusive language but I will be more than happy to add your views and feelings.

I guess the big thing at present is El Paso and the situation with their elephant department.

I am not in El Paso and don't have direct contact with anyone their so I don't have first hand information but I do have an opinion on the situation.

I have read the "Letter to the Editor" in the El Paso Times and I think Ms. Bain has answered most of the opposing views as she is there in El Paso and seems to know the facts of this situation.

I have heard all kinds of stories that Mr. Seidon has beaten this elephant with a rasp to a sledge hammer handle to a broom stick breaking the implement. Sounds kind of ridiculous to me.

The first thing to take into consideration is that elephants are not the big lovable gentle giants they are portrayed to be by some. They are socialized animal that live by rules and regulations. In the wild they set the standard, in captivity we set the standards. There is a difference between the wild herds and the captive animals. They are entirely different animals.

I understand that the Sissy event was brought up again. Again I must emphasize I was not there and only had reports from the media and hearsay information.

That so called terrible beating that was administer to Sissy may have just saved a life. In her previous location she killed a man and got away with it. When she made attempts to repeat this action she was taken to task and lo and behold for the next year she attacked no one and fit into the herd. There is a difference between abuse and discipline as each is individual. I think that Ms. Buckley, Mr. Scott and all those that work around the elephants at TES should thank the El Paso Zoo elephant personal for her good behavior.

There are times that force MUST be used and just maybe the rules and laws of El Paso and other places concerning what is abuse and what is discipline should be rewritten.

I have not seen any rebuttal to Ms. Bain's information to the public. Instead of writing all kinds of abuse that you know nothing about without disclosing yourselves why not come out of your shells and publicly voice your concerns instead of using threats and misinformation. I invite any of you give me actual facts not what is told to you by people that profess to know. I have had 43 years of hands on contact with elephants in which no one that has been around my elephants has ever been hurt. Oh yes, with the exception of myself with a bull in musth. THERE ARE NO ELEPHANT EXPERTS. We still need much more knowledge and experience before there will be experts.

Photos from Adam and Bonnie

2006-09-05T07:04:00.000-05:00

Photos from Adam and Bonnie:
1st Pic is Bonnie with Tina & Jewell doing the tub mount.
2nd Pic is Tina and Adam with her doing the hind leg into the head stand.
3rd Pic is Tina doing the spin with Bonnie.
4th Pic is Bonnie and Adam with the camels (Humphry & Chewy) and the elephants.
5th Pic is Tina saying thank you to all the kids

Jewell

2006-08-27T05:47:00.000-05:00

Photo by Adam: "Taken in last week of Feb. 2006 in Mobile Al. on Gophers Show this is Jewell."

Boo

2006-08-27T05:45:00.000-05:00

Photo by Adam: "Taken in last week of Feb. 2006 in Mobile Al. on Gophers Show this is Boo."

Tina

2006-08-27T05:43:00.000-05:00

Photo by Adam: "Taken in last week of Feb. 2006 in Mobile Al. on Gophers Show this is Tina."

Photos by Adam

2006-08-27T05:36:00.000-05:00

Photos by Adam
Taken in last week of Feb. 2006 in Mobile, AL. on Gophers show this the last time I took pics of them. Tina and Jewell and a camel.

Tina & Jewell

2006-08-21T09:27:00.000-05:00

Photo credit: Adam & Bonnie
This is Tina & Jewell on a lazy afternoon at Winter Quarters

Tennessee

2006-08-21T09:16:00.000-05:00

Photo by: Adam & Bonnie:
Bonnie & Adam with Tina & Jewell in TN on Cole Bros.

Betty 03-06

2006-08-11T14:09:00.002-05:00

These two pictures were taken a while after Betty arrived at The ARC. It took some time for us to have personal knowledge and repore with her. We found out that she not only had aggression toward people but other animals including elephants.

We had to keep the elephants separated so that all could get out into the acreage and enjoy the stress free freedom we supply for them.

Betty Upon arrival at The ARC

2006-08-11T07:19:00.000-05:00

These two pictures are when Betty first arrived.

All new arrivals are housed in a separte room with access to an outside pen. Regardless what the reputation of the elephant we want to find out for ourselves. In this particular case as we have had before Betty had a severe behavior problem.

The pen is solid concrete on two sides and the front is constructed of 5 inch pipe 4 feet in the ground in concrete. Even with this strength Betty got a running start and hit the fence and made it vibrate. This might give some of you so called elephant experts what kind of power these animals have when they want to use it.

USDA Seeking Comments

2006-08-10T08:16:00.000-05:00

On August 8, 2006 the USDA "USDA SEEKS COMMENTS ON CAPTIVE ELEPHANTS’ SPACE AND LIVING CONDITIONS" I have responded to the USDA's request for comments and here is what I had to say:

August 10, 2006

To Whom It May Concern:

With over 43 years of experience with elephants ranging from infant bottle babies to full grown bulls I have a wealth of knowledge from the school of hard knocks and am willing to share this information to help preserve the species.
Below please find my responses to the questions listed for your survey.
I find the last two questions are to complicated to answer in a short amount of space with the computer. I would however like to elaborate further on these topics.
I would appreciate a personal visit to discuss these matters.

Sincerely,
Murray Hill

* What are the causes of arthritis in elephants?
I am sure that there are causes contributing to arthritis that we still don't know about. The ones we do know about at the present time are being on concrete. Putting a softer surface over the concrete helps considerably. I have tried dirt, that didn't work for me as it meant changing the dirt continuously and either replacing it with fresher dirt or cleansing the existing dirt. I have been using wood, preferably oak, as there is enough give under the weight of the animal and still a solid floor.

For transportation (circus elephants), the air bags can be adjusted so that there isn't much shock going over rough road.

I have been in both situations, still operations and over the road and found this to be the best as none of my elephants developed arthritis. I'm sure there are other factors as there are in humans.

Q: What, if any, foot care practices have been used on captive elephants to maintain healthy feet?
A: The trimming of the pads, cutting of the nails and rasping the nails, In many cases I have seen that the pads are cut too far back and I have only cut pads when they would grow out the sides. If the bottom of the pad is smooth, even if there is crevasses other than clean the crevasses to make sure there isn't foreign matter in it I have found they work it down to where it should be if they are on a solid surface. The cutting of the nail should be even with the bottom of the pad. I have seen too many cases where the nail was cut to short and it bled making it vulnerable to infection. The rasping of the nail does nothing but open the nail to infection. It takes the protective covering off the soft areas of the nail; it also opens a greater possibility to splitting the nail. That's a whole different situation.

Q: What floors are best for captive elephants? Are there any flooring conditions that promote foot problems?
A: Concrete is the worst situation for elephants, in fact for any animal including humans. I know that there are new materials that I am told of that does the job but I have found that a good oak hardwood has kept my elephants in good shape. It has to be replaced from time to time but I have found it excellent. Soft wood (pines, etc.) would have to be replaced more often and would be more susceptible to bacteria.

Q: Do captive elephants require a certain amount of exercise (i.e. walking) to maintain healthy feet?
A: They should have a minimum of walking daily. I have found that it is up to individual if it is in an uncontrolled situation (in a small pen). In open area I find that they walk as much as they want to. In a performing situation, that in itself is more than enough exercise.

Q: What industry / professional standards are available for elephant care and husbandry?
Q: Are there any other health or care issues related to elephants that should be specifically addressed to the AWA standards?

Polack Brothers Circus, Gary, IN. 1969

2006-08-07T07:07:00.000-05:00

Polack Brothers Circus, Ft Wayne, IN., Feb. 22, 1969

2006-08-07T07:01:00.000-05:00

Iron Jaw

Hills Great London Circus, Delavin, WI - June 1971

2006-08-06T08:40:00.000-05:00

Hills Great London Circus,
Delavin, WI - June 1971
Beenie and Tory doing the Head Spin routine.

This was the only 3-ring circus that I produced.

In the early winter of '71 Gordon Yadon of the CFA in Delivan called me one day and asked if I would produce a circus for his chapter. He told me that his CFA members would cooperate and help in any way thay could. They sure did.

I started lining up acts that winter on the Shrine dates I was working and when I got home I called Gordon and told him some of the performers I had contracted. He was pleased with my selections. Then he hit me with what would be to me one of the most pleasent news I would have in the circus. He and his members of the CFA were able to get Merle Evans who was retired from the RBBB to lead a live circus band all made up of CFA's.

I was the ringmaster and David Hall worked the Mitie-Mites. He had worked with me for years and with the rest of the show he did a great job. A show I will never forget.

Bertha, Mitie-Mites and Slivers Sparks NV 1966

2006-08-06T08:34:00.000-05:00

Bertha, Mitie Mites and Slivers Sparks NV 1966

This was the first year on the road for the Mitie-Mites. We were playing dates in the northwest and with a few days off and close to Sparks we visited Slivers.

Cat Girl and Denny

2006-08-05T09:47:00.000-05:00

Denny was our first elephant in April of 1963. We knew nothing about elephants and hired several so called elephant trainers. We ended up with a man that had been a groom to Mac McDonald. His name was Joe Orth. Denise and I learned a lot from him and either of us could handle and work her.

We worked her as a single until 1966. When we decided to form a 3 act we used Denny as lead but she was much bigger than the other punks. We sold her in 1966 to Charlie Kelton of Wt. River Jct. VT.

Denny

2006-08-05T09:45:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken in March 1963. It was sent to me from Bangkok a month before she arrived.

I originally imported her to sell. I advertised her and had all kinds of calls. Everyone was interested until I told them she was a bottle baby. I was stuck with her. The best thing that ever happened to me.

Slivers

2006-08-03T16:19:00.000-05:00

Had a few days off between dates and visited with Slivers. He was always dressed impecably so I called him "Dandy Dan".

Another Performance Photo

2006-08-02T09:28:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken in 1970 right after I left the Polack Bros. Circus. The Mitie-Mites were growing and Beenie (Chimp) were doing well. We went back to independant dates.

Performance Photo

2006-08-02T09:25:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken on the Polack Bros. Circus in 1969. Tory in the center in a stretch position, Onyx on her right in the "T" mount, Stella in the back, Dutchess on her left in the "T" mount.

When I went over to the Polack Show with the Mitie-Mites, I also inherited Fran the elephant girl on the show. In the past when a producer insisted on me having an elephant girl most of them turned out to be a pain. They just couldn't get it through their head that the elephants were the star of the act. That was one of reasons I trained Beenie (chimp) to be my elephant girl. After all she could do a lot more than they could. As it turned out Fran was not only a great asset to the act but a wonderful person to work with.

Mitie Mites

2006-08-02T09:18:00.000-05:00

These are the Mitie Mites in 1966. At their first performance in Ft Wayne, IN. Total combined weight was 965 lbs. Left to Right.... Tory, Onyx and Dutchess. Their height ranged from Tory being 38" to Dutchess being 31". They were center ring with the Diano Heard on our left ring handled by Paul and Dotty Kelly, on our right was The Castle Elephants handled by Bert Pettis and his daughter Sandy Pettis.

Tennessee Elephant Sanctuary

2006-07-25T12:29:00.000-05:00

I see by most postings on the internet about the recent incident at The Tennessee Elephant Sancturary, that all sides have been covered. I think that this field should be left to the professionals.