When elephants came to Hong Kong

The second newspaper article regarding the circus coming to town dated 1937, (I think it was in the Hong Kong Telegraph), mentions that the elephants were “unloaded” from the hold. However, the animals walked from the hold to the deck and from the deck to the wharf by means of a gangway.

Just a thought, but doesn’t seem to be the way the elephants left the ship in the photograph displayed! 

A search in the Internet Archive gave a circus performance in Kowloon in 1940. No clue if this is connected to the elephant photo.

Another advert for Franz Isako's Circus, at least with a ship on it.

Mention made in the Hong Kong Telegraph photo section dated 13 October 1934 that the arrival of the elephants had been at Holt's Wharf. Can disregard 1934 as being the year of the main photo.

The photo may not be circus related. A different explanation of the main photo. 

Hong Kong is also a transshipment port.

Three elephants arrived on the SS Katori Maru for transshipment on the SS Asama Maru for the Dallas Centenary Celebrations. One of the elephants was a rare white elephant. See China Mail 28 April 1936 here

A photo of one of the elephants being transshipped appears in the Hong Kong Telegraph of the same day. See here, scroll to Page 3.

A photo of the white elephant appears in the Sunday Herald 3 May 1936 here, scroll to page 18.

Thanks Moddsey, that's certainly another option to keep in mind.

Thanks to the valuable hints David and moddsey offered above.

Please see if there are any other clues from the picture which may not go with this specific earliest coverage.

     

      A Live Cargo

      ------🔹------

Animals Arrive on The

   N.Y.K. Katori Maru

FOR TEXAS EXHIBITION 

                                                   [*]

  There was a strange scene on the 

Wharf at Kowloon yesterday when a 

miniature circus was unloaded from 

the N.Y.K. Steamer Katori Maru. 

  The animals, which comprised three 

small elephants, 28 (mon- 

keys), six pythons, two orang ou- 

tans, three monitor lizards, and one 

white monkey were brought here by 

Mr. J. Calleghan, who is taking them 

to the Centenary Exhibition at Dal- 

las, Texas, where they will be exhibit- 

ed. A further orang outan, one of 

the largest of this type of ape ever 

caught, is due to arrive here to-day. 

All the animals will be shipped to

America aboard the N.Y liner

Asama Maru.  [^]

  With trumpetings of protest the 

elephants, one of which is five feet 

high and the other two about four 

feet, were slung over the side of the 

side of the ship and landed safely 

on the pier, where Mr. Calleghan was 

ready for them with sugar cane and 

bananas. The other animals were 

all in boxes and comparatively easy 

to handle. 

 ......

  A large crowd gathered at the 

wharf to watch the elephants being 

led to the godown, where they will 

be kept until the Asama Maru sails. 

I seems to see one banana in a man's hand. Do you find him ?    : )

[*] SCMP 1936-4-25 p.21

[^] Asama Maru due to sail on May 6

       e.g. Hong Kong Telegraph 1936-4-25 p.14 

p.s. this time MMIS does not show such in search results not only due to its known indexing issues