Hannibal Expedition Reenacted Elephant Crossing

In late July 1959, a British engineer named John Hoyte led the eight-member British Alpine Hannibal Expedition from Montmelian, France, to test a possible route used by Carthaginian general Hannibal during his 218 BCE crossing of the Alps. Turin Zoo supplied Jumbo, an 11-year-old, 5,700-pound female Asian elephant and former circus performer, and the team fitted her with leather boots, knee pads, and a warm coat. Rockfall made the planned Col de Clapier route too dangerous, so the expedition retreated and crossed via Col du Mont Cenis instead. After 10 days, the party reached Susa, Italy, where Jumbo consumed cake and a magnum bottle of Chianti after losing nearly 500 pounds during the journey.

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