FREDA the elephant was a favourite at Calderpark Zoo where she gave children almost a bird’s eye view of the attractions.
The young elephant was noted in 1948 in the zoo’s annual report as being particularly popular among the visitors and being exceptionally well behaved for a newly imported elephant.
On “good” days during the summer, it reported – though it did not specify if that was a good day as regards the weather or if it was a day Freda was in a good mood – she would carry up to four children at a time.
The same report for 1954, however, notes her death following a short illness with a gastro intestinal complaint, though her health had been giving cause for concern for some time.
The zoo, a favourite for generations of Glasgow youngsters, closed for good in 2003, though it’s likely the elephant rides would have been stopped earlier for safety reasons.
Sitting atop an elephant would have sparked many a tale and, no doubt, lived long in the memory of those brave enough to climb up there.
The rivalry does not seem too intense in 1988, when Govan Action Group got together for a game of carpet bowls. The measurement would reveal the winner but everyone looked to be enjoying the game
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here