MITCHELL PARK ZOO & NELLIE THE ELEPHANT
Category Neighbourhood Feature
Durban's historic neighbourhood Morningside, lies the significant gardens of Mitchell Park. The park was originally built as an ostrich farm in 1910 in honour of the governor of the British Colony of Natal and Zululand, Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell. It was later decided to transform the ostrich farm into a zoo and by 1913 the zoo held 325 mammals, 49 reptiles and 855 birds. This formidable collection included larger mammals such as elephants, leopards, lions, panthers, brown bears, polar bears, buffaloes and eland.
The greatest gift was presented from the Maharaja of Mysore in 1928 - an Indian elephant called Nellie.
Nellie was full of personality and strove to entertain the kids of Durban. She loved to show off and soon learned to play a mouth organ, how to crack open coconuts, and even allowed kids to ride on her back. She was so popular in Durban that over 20 000 children attended her birthday celebrations.
Nellie was relocated in 1949, for reasons unknown, to Taronga Zoo in Australia. The authorities in Australia we unaware of how lovable and affectionate Nellie was, and they placed her in an enclosure surrounded with a trench to prevent her from getting out. Nellie longed for human company and one day attempted to cross the trench to where some kids were playing. Sadly she failed and fell into the trench, breaking her back and veterinarians subsequently had to put her down.
Today Mitchell Park Zoo accommodates only small animals that includes crocodiles, buck, raccoons, cranes, flamingos, wallabies, monkeys and tortoises. There is a walk-through aviary that allows you to get close-up views of many beautiful bird varieties. Kids can play in the playgrounds while their parents stop by the Blue Zoo restaurant or enjoy a picnic or braai in the beautiful gardens.
Take your family on an outing to the historic park and let the sound of children's laughter echo through Mitchell Park so that Ellie can listen to them, enjoying her legacy.
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