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The INDEPENDENT, March 21, 2012
Zoo seeks memorabilia and stories for Packy’s 50th birthday
In preparation for Packy’s
50th birthday celebration April
14, the Oregon Zoo is seeking
the public’s help in tracking
down and sharing early memo-
ries of the beloved pachyderm.
Packy, a Portland icon,
made international news in
1962 as the first elephant born
in the Western Hemisphere in
44 years. The big event hap-
pened shortly before 6:00 a.m.
on April 14, and news about the
225-pound baby spread rapid-
ly. Newspapers and radio sta-
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tions around the world an-
nounced the birth, and Life
magazine covered the event
with an 11-page spread de-
scribing “The Nativity of
Packy.” Gifts flooded the zoo –
everything from gold-plated
safety pins to hand-knitted
baby clothing to an elephant-
sized quilt – and visitors
flocked to see the new pachy-
derm.
As Packy’s 50th birthday ap-
proaches, the zoo is working to
preserve his history and would
like to augment its visual
records from Packy’s early
years.
“We know visitors love
Packy and the rest of the zoo’s
Asian elephant herd,” said Kim
Smith, zoo director. “We’re
hoping some of their experi-
ences from the past 50 years
are saved on film, and that
they’re willing to share memo-
rabilia and stories with us. I’d
especially love to hear from
anyone who knows about
Packy’s quilt.”
Smith said a visitor told her
about a quilt that had been
made for Packy when he was a
baby, and she is hopeful some-
one can supply more informa-
tion, pictures of the quilt, or
perhaps even the quilt itself.
The zoo is also seeking old
home movies, film footage,
slides, photos, postcards,
View-Master reels, newspaper
clippings, magazine articles or
other memorabilia relating to
Packy’s early years.
The zoo hopes to display
some of these materials during
Packy’s birthday celebration
and eventually place them in a
permanent historical archive.
Copies will be accepted in ad-
dition to original materials. Do-
nations may be sent to the Ore-
gon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon
Rd., Portland, OR 97221, in
care of Packy’s Birthday.
The zoo is also seeking sto-
ries from or about anyone who
shares a birthday with Packy
(April 14, 1962) – same date,
same year or both. Stories and
remembrances may be posted
to the zoo’s Facebook page, e-
mailed to events@oregonzoo.
org or sent to the Oregon Zoo
using the above address. The
zoo may use some of these
stories on its website or to help
publicize the April celebration.
Packy is now the oldest
male Asian elephant in North
America, and one of the
largest, standing 10 feet 6 inch-
es tall at the shoulder and tip-
ping the scales at around
12,500 pounds. He has fa-
thered seven calves, including
28-year-old
Sung-Surin
(“Shine”) and Rama, both of
whom currently live at the zoo.
For questions regarding do-
nations, contributions or Packy
stories, please e-mail events
@oregonzoo.org.