Mary the Elephant Had it Coming

Mary the Elephant killed her animal handler. So they strung her up in a public execution to be an example to other elephants. Even though Mary’s handler was an asshole who totally deserved his trampling, Mary also had a long history of elephant assholedom. She would eat more than her fair share of peanuts, never liked to hold another elephant’s tail to walk in that beloved elephant train, and she would spray circus fans with water she siphoned into her trunk.

The hanging of Mary the Elephant, who was publicly executed for killing her handler, 1916. pic.twitter.com/71icwCi6aw

— History In Pictures (@HistoryInPics) January 24, 2014

Seriously though, if the elephant had to be put down, they make guns for that. What was the purpose of the public execution??? Read the whole screwed up story here.