Queenie the waterskiing elephant dies

A waterskiing elephant whose unique talent garnered her international fame in the late 1950s and early 1960s has died in the southern US.



Queenie was put down earlier this week at the age of 59 after her health deteriorated, according to the Wild Adventures theme park in south Georgia where she retired to in 2003.

The elephant was just six months old when she was bought in a New York city pet store in 1953 by her former owner Liz Dane.


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Soon after Dane began training Queenie to water ski at a Florida theme park, where the animal performed to music several times a day for 15 years. She also played the harmonica. Dane, who performed alongside Queenie, said the elephant's death was "extremely sad".