The Great
Elephant Hunt
In August of 1926, the Sells-Floto Circus appeared in the small town of Cranbrook, BC. Shortly after their arrival, the circus elephants were spooked and stampeded. What ensued was nearly two months of chaos as people from Cranbrook, Aqam, and the surrounding areas hunted down elephants in the Canadian wilderness. By October, all but one of the elephants had been found: Charlie Ed.
Some of the Sells Floto’s circus elephants drinking water and being cared for (1926).
The story of Charlie Ed and his fellow escape artists is one of our most wild parts of Cranbrook’s history. It’s not every day that you hear about elephants running rampant through a valley town in the Canadian Rockies.
Thanks to the involvement of Cranbrook’s Community, the hunt was made easier with the use of bread and cars. Many locals assisted with the hunt, and helped keep tabs on the missing elephants through reporting sightings and destruction.
Gordon’s Ranch, where two of the elephants were found (1926).
Stanley “Stan” Porter’s Story
“It was the summer of 1926 when the Sels Floto Circus came to Cranbrook. All the animals had to be unloaded at the C.P.R. stock yards and be watered. While unloading the elephants and they stampeded. The man unloading them was badly hurt.”
“The stock yard fences was pushed over and torn up and about eight or ten elephants was on the loose. Most of them were caught before they went far. Tilly was the last one caught but two were missing . They were Mertle, and Charlie Ed. Several weeks went by and nosing of them.”
“Then reports from farmers and C.P.R. Section man reported that damage was done to their sheds and fences. That was when two circus men was looking for some transportation to try and locate these elephants. “
Stan Porter in his uniform when he served with the RCAF bomber command in Lyndon, Ouse Yorkshire England (1942-1945).
“At that time there wasn’t very many cars in Cranbrook, My mother had a 1925 model T touring with side curtains for winter driving, it cost $650.00 from the Hanson garage. They rented the car from my mother, but I had to drive the two circus men on weekends to where they wanted to go. So at seven o’clock in the morning we had breakfast at the L.D. cafe on baker street, it was owned and operated by Walter Walters. Baker Street then was all gravel road and had board sidewalks.”
“We took along a lunch, and filled the car with gas, which in those days was 25 cents a gallon, if you wanted a premium gas called Ethel it was 35 cents. We would t]drive put to Fort Steele one day and a different direction the next. We could only go 25 or 30 miles an hours as the roads was all wash board.”
“Several weeks has passed, and reports were coming from farmers of damage to their sheds or fences. The Sels Floto Circus put a reward on Mertle dead or alive. After breakfast one morning the Circus men told me to drive them out to Gold Creek where someone seen one of the elephants. About 14 miles out we spotted Mertle eating out in a swamp. The Circus man said stop, and boy bring a loaf of bread. They always called me Boy. I was only fifteen years old. We went down to the swamp and they said ‘Boy’ throw a loaf out to the elephant. I did and the trainer was going around the back of her and put shackles on her. The elephant ate the bread and then put her trunk in the air and let out a big beller. I thought she was coming for us so I took off up the road and got into the model T and drove about two miles up the road. I think I waited about an hour before returning, and found the two circus men sitting on a log waiting for me.”
1925 Model T - touring
The fax sent out to C.P. Rails workers stating “Keep look out for elephants on track. Advise if sighted from first telegraph office giving location” (1926).
“A couple weeks later they discovered Mertle near Moyie. A party got near enough to her and a circus man shot her with a 22 high power rifle. The head was cut off and was packed out on pack horses belonging to Cliff St. Eloi for proof. The elephant had several bullet wounds in her where people were shooting.”
“Winter was setting and Charlie Ed was still at large. Then finally they caught Charlie Ed and was brought to Cranbrook and shipped to Florida where Sels Floto Circus was wintering. From that day on Charlie Ed was called ‘Cranbrook Ed.’ He lived for several years after this and when I tell my friends I hunted elephants in Cranbrook, they think i’m some kind of a nut. They don’t believe me.”
Stan Porter all grown up.
The original document written by Stan Porter depicting his assistance in the hunt of Mertle and Charlie Ed.
Story and photos of Stan submitted by his granddaughter, Adrienne Marusyk
Tell us your story!
If you have a story of a loved one who partook in the hunt or heard any fun facts about it, please reach out!
Giving a voice to community is what we are all about!