Jip
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Sydney Zoo in Australia

Biography

☨ ♀ Jip


Alternative name:	Gyp, Gypsy

Identification

ASMP nr	25

Description
Species:	Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:	Female ♀
Origin
Born:	* unknown
Birth place:	in Asia unspecified location
Death
Dead:	†1956-07-04
Death reason:	unknown:
Locations - owners
Present / last location:	Sydney Zoo, in Australia

Date of arrival

1947-04-22	Sydney Zoo from Wirth Circus

1946-07-04	Wirth Circus from Asia unspecified location

Record history
History of updates	2010-05-24: new record 2025-03-10: Jip the mankiller? 2025-03-11: merged with 7432 Gyp at Wirths

Latest document update	2025-03-11 10:40:39
Google map

† Jip is a dead Female ♀ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), , who died 1956-07-04 at Sydney Zoo, in Australia, .

Casualties

2 casualties

1946-02-22: animal trainer Eileen Wirth attacked by Jip. grabbed her left arm in it's mouth and was about to fling her to the ground and trample her when old Princess Alice, another female elephant, broke her chains, attacked Gyp and pulled Miss Wirth to safety. Eileen Wirth Survived. Miss Wirth's forearm was fractured in two places, which was under treatment
1955-12: elephant keeper Charles Cody attacked by Jip. Knocked down Cody with her trunk and trampled him Charles Cody Survived. Hospitalized with a broken ankle and severe bruises

Origin

Jip was born unknown at Asia unspecified location.

Comments / pictures

Wirths' Circus had an elephant called Gyp. Jip in English sounds the same as Gyp. I think they are the same elephant. In my book I mention Gyp and suggest she was given to the Zoo in 1947 and died in 1956. Same as the story you have about Jip.

Further to my earlier message I have found newspaper reports that call the elephant Gyp or Jip. In English the letter G can be pronounced hard or soft. G when 'soft' can sound like J. One report dated 1946 relates how Jip broke Mrs Wirth's arm. And other reports suggest she was a difficult elephant. I would say she was given to the Zoo because of this. The incident in the zoo when she injured the keeper happened in December 1955. She was going to be 'put down' but was given another chance.. But it seems she either died or was euthanized in 1956. I think the name Gyp might have come from the word Gypsy. Not 100 per cent sure.

Gavan Donoghue

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). Jip, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Sydney Zoo in Australia. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 21 April 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=5871. (archived at the Wayback machine)