Nicholas II's two elephants, Indian and African, and how they died

Nicholas II had two elephants: one Indian, one African. The Emperor liked to fuss over animals, bathed the elephants and fed them, and could watch the giants at play in their pool for a long time.

The Indian elephant did not live long, having failed to adapt to the climate, while the African one lived to see the revolution and met a tragic end, shot by sailors. And yet the beast might have been handed over to the city zoo.

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Nicholas II's two elephants, Indian and African, and how they died

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September digest: archaeological finds, exhibitions, museums, theatre and the Church

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