Reader: RIP, Mimi -- my daughter fell in love with elephants because of you

Mimi the elephant passed away at the Denver Zoo last week, without getting to really appreciate her new home in the Toyota Elephant Passage, which opened just over four months ago. Mimi had been at the zoo since 1961; she was a gift from Helen Bonfils, owner of the Denver...

By Patricia Calhoun

October 15, 2012

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Mimi the elephant passed away at the Denver Zoo last week, without getting to really appreciate her new home in the Toyota Elephant Passage, which opened just over four months ago.

Mimi had been at the zoo since 1961; she was a gift from Helen Bonfils, owner of the Denver Post. Zookeepers estimated Mimi's age at the time of her passing at 53 -- old for an elephant.

But she left behind plenty of memories.

Says santee_tomie:

My 16 year old daughter fell in love with elephants from watching her at the Denver Zoo when she (my daughter) was a baby. We went all the time until she was three years old (then we had to move). She also got to watch them give her a bath one morning when we were visiting the zoo; that is her earliest memory of elephants! My daughter has been in love ever since and collected elephants because of her experience with Mimi. She has been back to visit over the last thirteen years and will be so sad that Mimi is no longer there.

Were you a fan of Mimi? Post your memories below, and remember: An elephant never forgets.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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