Jumbo was a colossal African elephant captured in Sudan in 1861 and later moved to the London Zoo, where his gentle nature and immense size made him a public favorite. In 1882, showman P.T. Barnum purchased him for his circus, sparking public outcry in Britain but making Jumbo an even bigger star in America. His life came to a tragic end on September 15, 1885, in St. Thomas, Ontario. While being led to his circus train car along a main track, he was struck and killed by an oncoming freight train