Lawrence Chicoine of Livermore and his grandson Caleb Boudreau study “Doc” a mounted elephant parked on a trailer next to Countryside Cannabis in Livermore Wednesday morning, July 20. The African elephant was legally hunted by a Turner attorney in 1991, mounted and brought to Maine two years later. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser
LIVERMORE — People aren’t seeing things, there is actually a life-size elephant to be seen in town.
Cea Jay Pitcher buys and sells antiques with specialties in old signs and gas pumps. “When an oddity shows up I will consider it,” he said in a phone interview with the Livermore Falls Advertiser Thursday afternoon, July 21.
He said it was through his business contacts that he acquired the elephant last week. “The new owners of the property wanted the space, didn’t want ‘Doc’ – the elephant’s name – anymore so I had to go in and rescue him,” Pitcher said.
The day before the elephant was on display at Countryside Cannabis, whose owner is a friend of Pitcher. Livermore Falls Advertiser staff thought the elephant would make an interesting photo for the front page of the next addition, but when the stop was made additional background on the elephant and that location was unexpectedly learned.
“You don’t see this every day,” Lawrence Chicoine of Livermore said while showing his grandson Caleb Boudreau the mammoth mount. “I live right down the road from the person who owns it.”
Chicoine pointed out a sign providing some background on the elephant at the front of the trailer. “Doc” weighed 7,700 pounds, was legally hunted in Zimbabwe by Dort Bigg of Turner in 1991, shipped to South Africa in 1992, completely mounted in 1993, made his way by ocean liner to New York and from there trucked to Bigg’s estate in Turner, the sign indicates.
“Please feel free to get up close and take pictures, touch it, feel the hair and skin. Just no climbing or leaning,” the sign posted by the Pitcher family reads. “Please enjoy looking and gently touching. He is a gentle giant so please no climbing.”
Caleb Boudreau touches “Doc” while his grandfather Lawrence Chicoine of Livermore stands behind him and Corena Douin of New Sharon reads a sign posted near the mounted elephant seen near Countryside Cannabis Wednesday morning, July 20. “Doc” was legally hunted by Dort Bigg of Turner in 1991, mounted and brought to Maine two years later. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser
“I thought it was a clay thing,” Corena Douin of New Sharon said. “I am flabbergasted now.
“My grandmother used to own this land.”
Douin had heard about the elephant and drove over to see it.
“People are driving from two to three hours away to see it,” Chicoine said. He noted not everyone is in favor of “Doc”. Chicoine had seen it being trailered down Route 4 and posted a video to Facebook. He also took photos while “Doc” was at Frosty Delite in Livermore Falls on Saturday, July 16.
Sandra Grondin, Franklin Group office manager, said Bigg was an attorney and went through the legal process to obtain a permit to shoot an elephant.
“It cost him about $250,000 in all, they were thinning the herd and he gave all the meat to the villagers,” she noted. Grondin once had a photography business and spoke of a photo using “Doc” as a backdrop. “It made a hell of a prop for a wedding photo,” she added.
“Doc” a legally hunted African elephant that was mounted and brought to Maine in 1993 is seen near Countryside Cannabis in Livermore Wednesday morning, July 20. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser
Bigg had a museum, Grondin said. “He used black powder for all the animals in his museum,” she noted.
“Doc” is ten feet one inches tall, 18 feet from the tip of his tusks to his tail and about eight feet wide between his ears, Pitcher said. “At only 7,700 pounds he is actually a smaller African elephant,” he noted. “I was kind of surprised. The average weight is 10,000 to 12,000 pounds.
“He is quite large when you are next to him,” Pitcher said. “I have learned a lot of history about him. One unusual thing I learned is the fact he doesn’t come apart like a lot of larger mounts do. The only thing that comes off is his ears.”
Pitcher said the legs are usually removable to make transporting easier. “Doc’s” ears are removed to cover and transport him. Pitcher said he is building a platform in his barn for “Doc” until his forever home can be found. Some museums have been contacted, he added.
Thursday morning three students from the summer school program stopped to see “Doc,” Pitcher said. Pitcher’s home is across from Spruce Mountain Primary School on the Gibbs Mill Road.
“I want people to enjoy [‘Doc’],” he said. A few home school groups have contacted Pitcher about visits. Until a forever home is found, Pitcher welcomes visitors.
To arrange a time to visit or for additional information call Pitcher at 207-491-3658.
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