Famous (and Infamous) Animal Attractions Quiz

Answer: Jumbo the Elephant

Jumbo was a famous African elephant who was a huge attraction in the circus of P.T. Barnum. Before he "joined" the circus in 1882, he was at the London Zoo, where he was one of the more popular animals. When he was sold to Barnum for $10,000 there was a huge public outcry and the elephant himself refused to get in the crate at first. Barnum advertised Jumbo as the "largest elephant on Earth".

His first season was a massive success, earning the circus almost $1.8 million. Jumbo did not just appear in the circus and fairs. On May 17, 1884, Jumbo was one of 21 elephants marched across the Brooklyn Bridge to prove its safety. Sadly, this elephant's life ended tragically in 1885 when he was struck by a train while being led along some Canadian railroad tracks. Even after his horrible death, he remained an attraction as Barnum had his body preserved and displayed.

Answer: Shamu the Orca

Shamu was the first orca (also called a killer whale) at SeaWorld in San Diego, California. She started there in the 1960s and quickly became a star. She was very intelligent and quickly learned "tricks" from her trainers. She could leap out of the water, splash the audience upon a command, and even perform routines.

This orca helped make SeaWorld famous. Even more importantly, she changed how people viewed the animals. Fans moved from thinking of them as scary, killer creatures to smart and trainable mammals. Shamu died on August 16, 1971, from a uterine infection and blood poisoning at approximately 9 years old. Years later, there was a debate about keeping orcas in captivity and the effect on their psyche. By 2019, SeaWorld stopped doing theatrical shows with orcas and shifted toward an educational viewpoint around the animals.

Answer: Gino the Gorilla

Gino was a western lowland gorilla who lived at the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail in Disney's Animal Kingdom from when the park opened in Florida in 1998. He was a very large silverback, the adult male leader of his gorilla family. He was known for his gentle leadership, playful activities, and fathering 14 offspring.

Gino was not part of any show for people's amusement. He lived in a habitat where he could show visitors what life was like for gorillas in the wild. He helped teach the guests at the amusement park about conservation and protection of endangered animals. Sadly, he passed away in September of 2025 at the age of 44.

Answer: Paul the Octopus

Paul, residing at Sea Life in Germany, became famous during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Before each football (soccer) match involving Germany, keepers would put two clear boxes in his tank. Each was marked with the team's flag (and, coincidentally, held food). Paul would choose to open one box. Amazingly, his choices were 85% correct for his entire streak.

He became extremely popular. Fans could not wait to see which team he chose. While it was simply a clever feeding technique, people loved the whole idea. After the tournament, Paul retired and basked in his glory until he died later that year.

Answer: Winter the Dolphin

Winter the dolphin was found in a crab trap line in 2005. She was taken to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida. There she lost her tail to the injuries she sustained. With help from specialists there (and brought in) she was fitted with a special prosthetic tail, allowing her to swim again!

She became a worldwide sensation when her story was told in two movies called "Dolphin Tale" and "Dolphin Tale 2". After the films, people came from all over to the park where they watched her and learned about all kinds of marine rescue. She continued to teach people about ocean life until her death in 2021.

Answer: Topsy the Elephant

Born in Southeast Asia around 1875, Topsy was an elephant who was secretly brought into the United States soon thereafter and added to a herd of performing elephants at a circus. There were several accidents involving her, and in one instance a person was killed (he had snuck into her enclosure). She was then sold to Coney Island's Sea Lion Park in 1902 where she performed at the park.

Her sad existence continued as she was brutally mistreated by her handler. Deemed a "bad" elephant, Topsy was publically electrocuted in front of a large crowd in January of 1903. For decades, a myth had endured that Thomas Edison killed Topsy while trying to "prove" the power of electricity. That, however, was an urban legend.

Answer: Mike the Chicken

Mike the Chicken, often (more aptly) called "Mike the Headless Chicken", achieved fame in 1945 after surviving a beheading on a farm in Fruita, Colorado. His owner went out one evening to kill him for dinner. He must not be too good with an axe, however, as he missed a chunk of Mike's brain and a major vein. The chicken stayed alive. His owner, Lloyd, then took him on as a pet and fed him with a dropper.

Mike was then taken on tours around Colorado to appear at sideshows for the next year. He even got a spot in "Time" magazine. Crowds paid to see him, and he became a celebrity. The Colorado town where Mike once lived began (starting in 1999) a yearly "Mike the Headless Chicken Festival".

Answer: Kasi the Cheetah

Kasi the cheetah was born in 2011 at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in Florida and then moved to Busch Gardens when his mother couldn't care for him. As a cub, Kasi was paired with a Labrador retriever dog named Mtani, and the two quickly formed an unusual (but heartwarming) friendship. They spent their early years playing, running, and traveling together for educational events. They also performed in the park's cheetah run experiences.

Kasi became very popular due to this "cat and dog" bond. He showed how animals of different species can connect and support each other. Kasi is also known for teaching visitors to the park about the challenges facing cheetahs in the wild and to help promote conservation messages.

Answer: Mantacore the White Tiger

Mantacore (sometimes spelled different ways) was a white tiger who performed in a show by magicians Siegfried & Roy at The Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada. He would act in illusions where he would appear, disappear, or interact very closely with the performers. He was a star. When not performing, he and other tigers were kept at the hotel's "Secret Garden" habitat where visitors could learn more about them.

In 2003, Mantacore was involved in a serious incident onstage in which he bit and dragged Roy Horn during a performance, causing very serious injuries. The show ended its long run immediately after the incident. Reports (and Roy himself) state that the tiger was reacting to protect Roy when he seemed unsteady. The tiger spent the rest of his life in comfort and died in 2014.

Answer: Knut the Polar Bear

Knut was born in 2006 at the Berlin Zoological Garden. He was, however, rejected by his mother after his birth. He was the first polar bear cub to survive past infancy at the location in more than 30 years. He was soon hand-raised by zookeepers and his story spred around the world. The media covered both positive aspects (such as videos of him playing and swimming) and negative views (many considered it unethical to raise him in a human environment).

Knut grew up while becoming a symbol of conservation and climate awareness as people learned of wild polar bear's issues as icecaps melt. Sadly, in 2011, he died suddenly of drowning after a brain seizure.