British Alpine Hannibal Expedition

Background

In 218 BCE, his son Hannibal led an army of perhaps 50,000 men and 37 war elephants from Hispania to Italy over the Alps. Ancient historians Polybius and Livy described the march, but the exact route remains disputed. Gavin de Beer's 1955 book listed 12 possible candidates from 30 works.

The expedition

A 1955 Times debate on Hannibal's route caught the attention of John Hoyte, a Cambridge engineering student. In summer 1956, he and friends hiked the Alps comparing routes to ancient accounts, concluding the Col de Clapier was most likely. Years later, a friend suggested testing this with an elephant. Hoyte wrote to British consuls about obtaining an elephant; the Turin Zoo, which had just acquired Jumbo, a trained circus elephant, volunteered her.

The eight-person team included Richard Jolly as secretary and Colonel John Hickman, a veterinary surgeon with elephant experience from Burma. Insurance came from Lloyd's of London, and Life magazine sponsored the expedition, later publishing a 7-page photo report. Starting in late July 1959 in Montmelian, France, the group followed the Arc river valley toward the Col de Clapier, but rockfall made the route dangerous. They retreated and crossed the Col du Mont Cenis, a pass suggested by Napoleon.

After ten days, they entered Susa, Italy. Originally planned to be named Hannibella, the 5700 lb elephant, aged 11, would not respond to the new name and remained Jumbo. She wore leather boots, knee pads, and a coat for warmth. Despite a daily diet of 150 lb hay, 50 lb apples, 40 lb bread, 20 lb carrots, and a vitamin B supplement, she lost about 300 lb in the first four days and nearly 500 lb total. Upon arrival in Italy, she ate cake and drank a Magnum bottle of Chianti.