John Cooke

From the list of elephant persons Family: Cooke

 ☨ John Cooke 
Profession circus animal trainer
Personal details
Born ? in United States

Dead 1923-07 Wirth Circus tour in Brisbane in Australia

Residence
Country Australia

Locations
Title animal trainer -1923
Location at Wirth Circus in Australia

Biography details

John David Welby Cooke , circus animal trainer in Australia

Cooke was born * ? in United States dead 1923-07 Wirth Circus tour in Brisbane, in Australia , son of animal trainer Harry Cooke .

Affiliation with 1 elephants

1: Cardie (fatal attack)

Casualties

1 casualties
  1. 1923-07: animal trainer John Cooke fatal attack by Cardie. In Brisbane, during a performance under the big top, he lashed out at his trainer, Mr Cooke, knocking down her trainer and crushing him with her head. John David Welby Cooke † John Cooke Died 1923-07, Wirth Circus tour in Brisbane. The incident left the circus management shaken. George Wirth, the circus owner, lay awake that night, agonizing over what to do. By morning, a grim decision had been made: Cardie would have to be destroyed, and he was subsequently shot three days later, in July 1923.

John  CookeThe wedding of John Welby Cooke and Edith ‘Edie’ Amelia King at Charters Towers, Queensland, on 17 August 1901, united two great circus families. Cooke, a superlative equestrian, was descended from the Cookes, one of England’s oldest circus families. Edie was a niece of the Wirth brothers, Australia’s pre-eminent circus family.


He had numerous incidences of attacking his keepers. In 1923 during a performance in Queensland Cardie attacked his trainer. He was subsequently shot in July 1923.


Circus elephant, Cardie, was shot after knocking down her trainer and crushing him with her head.


1925: John Welby Cooke Sr. was famed as the ringmaster of Wirths Circus in Melbourne. He was killed two years ago when "Cardie", a giant elephant in Wirths Circus, attacked him.


On a fateful Friday night in Brisbane, during a performance under the big top, he lashed out at his trainer, Mr Cooke, injuring him. The incident left the circus management shaken. George Wirth, the circus owner, lay awake that night, agonising over what to do. By morning, a grim decision had been made: Cardie would have to be destroyed.

Family


Total: 1 children

  1. Harry Welby Cooke. Born: ?.

John Cookes ancestral Ahnentafel:

P I II III

John Cooke
Born: ?

Father:
Harry Cooke

Born: ?
2025-07

Paternal Grandfather:
John Cooke

Born: ?
2025-07
Paternal Great-grandfather:
Henry Cooke
Paternal Great-grandmother:
Paternal Grandmother:


Born:
2025-07
Paternal Great-grandfather::
Paternal Great-grandmother:

Mother:


Born:
2025-07

Maternal Grandfather:


Born:
2025-07
Maternal Great-grandfather:
Maternal Great-grandmother:
Maternal Grandmother:


Born:
2025-07
Maternal Great-grandfather:
Maternal Great-grandmother:


John Cooke is mentioned on 8 other person pagesEdith King,  Emily Cooke,  Frank Robinson,  Henry Cooke,  James Boswell,  John Sanger,  John Cooke,  John Jay Nathans,  

John Cooke is mentioned on 2 location pagesCircus Sanger,  Sands, Nathans & Co,  

John Cooke is mentioned on 2 elephant record pagesCardie,  Rio (Ryo),  

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). animal trainer John David Welby Cooke in Australia. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 9 July 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/person.php?id=1779. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:


Selected publications

External links about John Cooke


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Categories animal trainer | circus | Wirth Circus | Cooke family | Born ? | Dead 1923 | People from Australia


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