▁ele ph ant , ▁then ▁a ▁ 2 5 0 - p ound ▁young ster , ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁good ▁birth day ▁present ▁for ▁his ▁six - year - old ▁daughter . ▁However , ▁the ▁ele ph ant ▁was ▁sold ▁back ▁to ▁Ring ling ▁after ▁the ▁animal ▁reported ly ▁tr ample d ▁through ▁the ▁Z ieg feld s ' ▁green house . ▁Ring ling , ▁in ▁turn , ▁sold ▁the ▁ele ph ant ▁to ▁S inger ' s ▁M idget ▁Circ us . ▁While ▁tour ing ▁with ▁S inger ' s ▁tr oupe , ▁Z ig gy ▁bond ed ▁with ▁a ▁d war f ▁named ▁Charles ▁Be cker , ▁who ▁taught ▁the ▁ele ph ant ▁how ▁to ▁dance , ▁play ▁a ▁harm onica , ▁and ▁smoke ▁c igare tt es . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁San ▁Diego ▁Ex position ▁Children ' s ▁Circ us ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁Be cker ▁fell ▁ill , ▁and ▁Z ig gy ▁was ▁pa ired ▁with ▁a ▁new ▁handler , ▁Johnny ▁Winter s . ▁However , ▁the ▁ele ph ant ▁did ▁not ▁respond ▁well ▁to ▁Winter s , ▁and ▁fled ▁from ▁the ▁grounds . ▁Z ig gy ▁was ▁later ▁found ▁in ▁Bal boa ▁Park , ▁and ▁Be cker ▁was ▁called ▁from ▁his ▁sick bed ▁to ▁co ax ▁the ▁ele ph ant ▁out . ▁Some ▁reports ▁claimed ▁that ▁Z ig gy ▁had ▁killed ▁a ▁trom bone ▁player ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁his ▁escape , ▁but ▁this ▁was ▁never ▁verified . ▁In ▁any ▁case , ▁the ▁circ