Billie's Story
Billie was born wild in India in 1962. Shortly thereafter, in 1966, she was captured, separated from her family, and exported to Southwick Zoo in Mendon, MA. Like most Asian elephants arriving in America during this era, Billie was expected to spend the majority of her life performing and on exhibit. In 1972, Billie was sold to the Hawthorn Corporation, a company that trained and leased elephants to circuses.