] 12 
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 
KARTOUM AT PARADE REST 
The photograph conveys an impression of the huge size of this animal, altlio in the picture 
l there are no definite means of comparison. 
THE PUSHING POWER OF AN 
ELEPHANT. 
Illustrated from photographs by Elwin R. Sanborn. 
T HE head-on pushing power of a growing 
elephant is an unknown quantity. There is 
no way by which it can be determined, save 
in terms of what it can and cannot destroy. 
When our elephant fences were to be planned 
and constructed, we called for a fence that 
would withstand at all parts a blow or a push¬ 
ing strain of 5000 pounds. It was our estimate 
that an adult elephant ten feet high would weigh 
9000 pounds, and that of this he could deliver 
a push of 5000 pounds against a fence, a gate 
or a door. 
The late and lamented Gunda was a bad 
one, but his specialty was attacking man. He 
never phased his fences. After all, Gunda was 
not totally depraved. 
Our male African elephant, Kartoum, now 
seventeen years of age, nine feet six inches high, 
and with about one foot six inches more to grow, 
is not at all ambitious to kill men. His weight 
must be about 8000 pounds, and he hates all 
cage and fence materials. With perfect impar¬ 
tiality he attacks brick, stone, steel and wood, 
whether it be expressed in wall, doors, fence or 
gates. 
No sooner did his boyhood tusks begin to 
grow beyond his lips than did lie begin to use 
them as weapons of offense in the elimination of 
hated spikes, cut stone and brick-work. The 
neatness and precision with which he could place 
the stub-end of tusk against the sharp end of a 
half-inch steel spike two inches long and break 
it off was very edifying to all persons save our 
ironworkers. 
With growth in height and the acquisition of 
avoirdupois, Kartoum began to test out every 
