Packy (elephant) facts for kids

Packy was a famous Asian elephant who lived at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, Oregon. He was born on April 14, 1962, and passed away on February 9, 2017. Packy became well-known because he was the first elephant born in the Western Hemisphere in 44 years.

When he died, Packy was the oldest male Asian elephant in North America. He was also one of the tallest elephants in the United States. He stood about 10 feet 6 inches (3.20 m) tall at his shoulder. When he stretched up, he was more than 12 feet (3.7 m) high!

Packy's Early Life

Packy's mother, Belle, was born in the wild in Thailand around 1952. His father, Thonglaw, was born in Cambodia around 1947. Both elephants were brought to the United States in 1959.

Belle became pregnant with Packy in July 1960. At first, no one at the zoo knew she was pregnant. Belle and Thonglaw moved between zoos in Seattle and Portland.

In December 1961, staff at the Portland Zoo confirmed Belle's pregnancy. They decided to keep it a secret until the baby was born. However, Belle had a false labor in January 1962. After that, the zoo shared the exciting news with the public.

People in Portland were very excited about the upcoming birth. On April 14, 1962, at 5:58 a.m., Belle gave birth to a baby boy elephant. It was a big event!

Ten days later, a local radio station held a contest to name the baby. The winning name was "Packy." This rare elephant birth got attention from all over the world. Life magazine even wrote an 11-page story about Packy.

Many visitors came to Portland to see the famous baby elephant. In 1962, the Portland Zoo had over 1 million visitors. This was a record that lasted for 27 years!

Many circuses and zoos wanted to buy Belle and Packy. But their trainer, Morgan Berry, said no to all offers except Portland's. Portlanders raised $30,000 to buy Belle and Packy. After that, Berry gave Thonglaw and another female elephant named Pet to the zoo. This kept the elephant family together.

Thonglaw also became a father to other calves at the zoo. Rosy, one of Portland's female elephants, gave birth to a female named Me-Tu in October 1962. Pet had a male calf named Dino in September 1963. And Tuy Hoa, another Portland female, gave birth to a female named Hanako later that month.

Packy's father, Thonglaw, passed away in 1974. He had 14 calves besides Packy. Belle, Packy's mother, died in 1997 from a foot infection. Packy was her only calf.

Packy as an Adult

Packy lived to be 54 years old, making him the oldest male Asian elephant in North America. His weight changed over the years. In 2008, he weighed about 14,530 pounds (6,591 kg).

Packy's Calves

Packy became a father to seven calves during his life. Only one of them survived to adulthood:

1. An unnamed male calf was born in 1975 but died at 6 months old.
2. An unnamed female calf was born in 1976 but died at 2 weeks old.
3. Sumek, a female, was born in 1978 but died at 6 weeks old.
4. Khun-Chorn, a male, was born in 1978. He moved to another zoo in 1980 and passed away in 2016.
5. Thongtrii, a male, was born in 1979. He moved to Fresno, California, in 1981 and died in 1993.
6. Sung-Surin "Shine", a female, was born in 1982. She still lives at the Oregon Zoo today.
7. Rama, a male, was born in 1983 and lived at the Oregon Zoo until his death in 2015.

Packy's daughter, Shine, is now the leader of the elephant herd at the Oregon Zoo. None of Packy's calves have had their own babies.

The Story of Packy

Packy and Me is a book about Packy's birth at the Portland Zoo. It was written by Dr. Matthew Maberry, the veterinarian who helped deliver Packy. The book was published in 2011. Dr. Maberry passed away in 2012.

See also

• Packy mural
• List of individual elephants