SmugMug Photo & Video Sharing. You look better here. : Stuffed elephant at the Auckland Museum. The story behind the elephant is that in the early 20th Century, the elephant was acquired by the Auckland Zoo and was supposed to give elephant rides to children. When it turned out that the elephant was not tame enough to give rides, the zoo decided they had no use for an elephant who would not give rides to children, so one of the zookeepers executed the elephant. He was then stuffed so he could be a museum exhibit. Can you imagine this happening at one of our zoos today?

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> The Auckland Museum, as viewed from the top of the Sky Tower.

> View of downtown and the Sky Tower from the Auckland Museum.

> Part of the Auckland Museum's large memorial for New Zealand soldiers lost in battle.

> Japanese Zero fighter plane from World War II at the Auckland Museum.

> Auckland Museum exhibit highlighting the early days of the city in the mid-19th Century.

> Maori poles (similar to totem poles in North America) in the Auckland Museum.

> Large stuffed albatross in the Auckland Museum. The picture doesn't really show how huge this bird really is.

Stuffed elephant at the Auckland Museum. The story behind the elephant is that in the early 20th Century, the elephant was acquired by the Auckland Zoo and was supposed to give elephant rides to children. When it turned out that the elephant was not tame enough to give rides, the zoo decided they had no use for an elephant who would not give rides to children, so one of the zookeepers executed the elephant. He was then stuffed so he could be a museum exhibit. Can you imagine this happening at one of our zoos today?