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[Review] Patricia Sumerling. Elephants And Egotists: In Search Of Samorn Of The Adelaide Zoo. Adelaide: Wakefield Press, 2016, Christine Townend

Animal Studies Journal

This book, as the sub-title suggests, largely concerns the history of an elephant, Samorn, who, as a gift to Australia from the king of Siam, resided at the Adelaide Zoo from 1956 until her death in 1994. The book may appeal to readers who are interested in the way that a zoo works, or in the history of zoos. In places the book offers a great deal of detail, for example long descriptions of the disagreements between ‘egotists’ on the board of the Adelaide Zoo, or about the negotiations to procure Samorn. However, it provides an interesting glimpse into the …