Targa
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus (Blue Unit) in United States

Biography

☨ ♀ Targa
Hugo Schmitt with Leonard Bros. (Hard Times Leonard) in 1956 seen with his son Roman and the elephant acquired from Catskill Game Farm

Identification

SSP nr	200

Description
Species:	Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:	Female ♀ 41 years old
Origin
Born:	* 1946 wild
Birth place:	in Asia unspecified location
Death
Dead:	†1987
Death reason:	unknown:
Locations - owners
Present / last location:	Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus (Blue Unit), in United States

Date of arrival

1969-00-00	Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus (Blue Unit) from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

1957-00-00	Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from Leonard Brothers Circus

1957-00-00	Leonard Brothers Circus from Hugo Schmitt

1958-00-00	Hugo Schmitt from Catskill Game Farm

1952-00-00	Catskill Game Farm from Polack Brothers Circus

Record history
History of updates	2009-11-22: New elephant 2012-02-22: corr blue unit 2021-11-05: picture 2021-11-12: Born in Asia

Latest document update	2021-11-12 18:00:47

† Targa is a dead Female ♀ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), , who died 1987 at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus (Blue Unit), in United States, .

Origin

Targa was born wild 1946 at Asia unspecified location.

Comments / pictures

1956: Hugo Schmitt bought his own elephant, Targa from Catskills Farm

Records about Targa from William "Buckles" Woodcocks Blog at http://www.bucklesw.blogspot.com/
Mac MacDonald told me that this elephant was included in the delivery of the Besalou Elephants in 1952 but that she was so small he refused her and she wound up at Catskill Game Farm where Hugo bought her four years later. Hugo once told me that "Targa" means "star" in India.

William "Buckles" Woodcock

Records about Targa from William "Buckles" Woodcocks Blog at http://www.bucklesw.blogspot.com/
He named her "Targa" which he later told me meant "Star" in India.
She had actually been imported by Louis Goebel in 1953 and was included with Besalou Elephants but MacDonald passed on her because she was very tiny and being hand fed.
William "Buckles" Woodcock

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). Targa, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus (Blue Unit) in United States. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 10 July 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=5418. (archived at the Wayback machine)