Difference between revisions of "Tanya the Elephant"
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He and his wife retired to Sarasota in 1989 to reunite with many of the friends they had made in show business who also retired there. Tanya was given to a friend who had a circus in Mexico. | He and his wife retired to Sarasota in 1989 to reunite with many of the friends they had made in show business who also retired there. Tanya was given to a friend who had a circus in Mexico. | ||
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==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance== | ==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance== | ||
Revision as of 09:04, 2 January 2025
Tanya the Elephant was a Thai elephant who became a famous performer on stage, TV and film.
Contents
Tanya the performer
Born in captivity, but acquired as a one-year old by German born performance animal trainer Jan Vinicky (1923-2006. Stage name Smaha, but also nicknamed Jenda)[1] in 1965. He trained her to perform on stage and they performed throughout Europe, including a command performance for Queen Elizabeth II in 1967 with Bob Hope. They subsequently landed in Las Vegas in the late 1960's, her performances captivating theatre and TV audiences throughout the 1970s, as they appeared on several television shows, including "The Merv Griffin Show," "The Mike Douglas Show" and "Those Amazing Animals."
In 1980 trainer Smaha moved his show and family to Botswana, Southern Africa, where Tanya performed at a hotel casino. He fell in love with Africa and dedicated himself to the protection of vanishing species. He became a good friend of Dr. Helena Fitchat, director of the Center for Rehabilitation of Wildlife in South Africa[2].
He and his wife retired to Sarasota in 1989 to reunite with many of the friends they had made in show business who also retired there. Tanya was given to a friend who had a circus in Mexico.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
Sources
https://lasvegas.citycast.fm/history-archive/a-look-back-at-tanya-the-elephant
Go to the ESAT Bibliography
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