Siam
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Paris Zoo Vincennes in France

Biography

☨ ♂ Siam
Siam as museum specimen.

Museum locations
Present / last location:	Paris National Museum of Natural History, in France

Date of arrival

1997-09-29	Paris National Museum of Natural History, Paris, France

Identification

EEP nr	6407

Description
Species:	Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:	Male ♂ 52 years old
Dentition
Incisives	tusker
Body height:	3.20 meter, 10.5 feet
Origin
Born:	* 1945 wild
Birth place:	in Asia unspecified location
Death
Dead:	†1997-09-29
Death reason:	disease: foot problemss
Offspring
Total: 15 babies

1. Born 1963-02-15 (dead † 1994-12-23)	♂ Sahib Fridolin EEP id: 6304

2. Born 1965-08-04 (dead † 1984-06-21)	♀ Madura

3. Born 1972-06-17 (dead † 1972-06-17)	⚪ stillborn

4. Born 1972-08-13 (dead † 1972-08-13)	♀ stillborn EEP id: 7211

5. Born 1976-03-13 (dead † 1976-08)	♀ August EEP id: 7601

6. Born 1978-06-21 (dead † 2018/2019?)	♂ Kim EEP id: 7803

7. Born 1982-06-12 (dead † 2000-04-16)	♀ Kuala EEP id: 8210

8. Born 1987-03-28 (dead † 1987-04-21)	♀ Lola EEP id: 8704

9. Born 1989-02-28 (dead † 1997-09-25)	♂ John (Ben) EEP id: 8903

10. Born 1990-03-31 (dead † 2000-06-19)	♂ Poona (Salem) EEP id: 9005

11. Born 1992-03-27 (dead † 2009-10-29)	♂ Sammy EEP id: 9204

12. Born 1993-10-01	♀ Nina EEP id: 9305

13. Born 1996-03-17 (dead † 1996-03-17)	♀ stillborn (twin) EEP id: 9605

14. Born 1996-07-01 (dead † 1996-07-01)	♂ stillborn (twin) EEP id: 9606

15. Born 1998-05-04	♂ Thisiam EEP id: 9804
Locations - owners
Present / last location:	Paris Zoo Vincennes, in France

Date of arrival

1964-08-28	Paris Zoo Vincennes from Circus Knie

Record history
History of updates	2023-08-22: Name, text, source updated

Latest document update	2023-08-22 13:15:41

† Siam is a dead Male ♂ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), , who died 1997-09-29 at Paris Zoo Vincennes, in France, . Official death reason described as foot problemss.

Museum locationThe Museum specimen remains of this animal is within the collection at Paris National Museum of Natural History, in Paris, France, since 1997-09-29.

Offspring

Total: 15 babies

(M) 1963-02-15 -- † 1994-12-23 Sahib Fridolin EEP id: 6304
(F) 1965-08-04 -- † 1984-06-21 Madura
() 1972-06-17 -- † 1972-06-17 stillborn
(F) 1972-08-13 -- † 1972-08-13 stillborn EEP id: 7211
(F) 1976-03-13 -- † 1976-08 August EEP id: 7601
(M) 1978-06-21 -- † 2018/2019? Kim EEP id: 7803
(F) 1982-06-12 -- † 2000-04-16 Kuala EEP id: 8210
(F) 1987-03-28 -- † 1987-04-21 Lola EEP id: 8704
(M) 1989-02-28 -- † 1997-09-25 John (Ben) EEP id: 8903
(M) 1990-03-31 -- † 2000-06-19 Poona (Salem) EEP id: 9005
(M) 1992-03-27 -- † 2009-10-29 Sammy EEP id: 9204
(F) 1993-10-01 Nina EEP id: 9305
(F) 1996-03-17 -- † 1996-03-17 stillborn (twin) EEP id: 9605
(M) 1996-07-01 -- † 1996-07-01 stillborn (twin) EEP id: 9606
(M) 1998-05-04 Thisiam EEP id: 9804

Origin

Siam was born wild 1945 at Asia unspecified location.

Comments / pictures

About the book Siam, by Daniel Conrod, Editions Rue du Monde
The story of Siam, Asian elephant, is a true story. In 1964, Siam and André Boitard, her trainer, arrived at the Vincennes zoo. Siam, the most famous and beloved of elephants, died there in 1997. Naturalized, the gigantic and magnificent animal with the forehead of a mammoth sits majestically today in the great gallery of evolution at the Museum of Natural History, in Paris.
Before getting there, Siam had an extraordinary life, which the narrator, his healer, tells us with emotion, going back as far as possible, to the birth of his friend, in the depths of his memory and his imagination. … Thus we learn, over the pages, that Siam was born in India where, during his youth, he worked hard with his brothers, dragging heavy tree trunks. One day he took the boat to Calcutta, left India and its temples in front of which he liked to parade during the great processions, made up and richly adorned. He arrived in Europe at the end of a long and tiring journey to find himself under the lights of the spotlights of a circus, given an ovation each evening by hundreds of spectators. Before arriving at the Vincennes zoo, he was also the hero of Yoyo, the film by Pierre Etaix.
Everything in this extraordinary story, told from the point of view of someone who lovingly devoted a large part of his life to taking care of the elephant, is part of the dream, tenderness and poetry, carried with incredible grace by the sumptuous watercolors of François Place. A great book, at the height of this elephant.

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). Siam, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Paris Zoo Vincennes in France. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 26 April 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=175. (archived at the Wayback machine)