P. T. Barnum acquires the elephant Jumbo from the London Zoo

Background. Jumbo, a male African bush elephant born in Sudan, was exported to the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and then transferred in 1865 to London Zoo in England. While in London, Jumbo broke both tusks, and when they regrew, he ground them down against the stonework of his enclosure. In 1882, the zoo's superintendent decided to sell him to an American entertainer.

Public Reaction. The sale caused a panic among London citizens, who perceived it as a detriment to the British empire. Approximately 100,000 school children petitioned Queen Victoria to prevent the transaction. John Ruskin, a fellow of the Zoological Society, publicly condemned the council's actions as disgraceful to London and dishonorable to humanity, highlighting the ethical and civic dimensions of the controversy.

Legal Resolution. Despite a lawsuit against the Zoological Gardens alleging the sale violated multiple zoo bylaws, and the zoo's attempt to renege on the sale, the court upheld the transaction. The London-based newspaper The Daily Telegraph begged Barnum to lay down terms on which he would return Jumbo; however, no such terms existed in the eyes of Barnum.