Belfast Zoo has had some interesting stories down through the years but there's one particular story that is especially fascinating.
Back in 1941, The Ministry of Public Security ordered that several animals were to be killed in case they managed to escape the zoo during air raids at the time of the Belfast Blitz. This included a hyena, six wolves, a puma, a black bear, a tiger, two polar bears and a lynx.
However, one young animal was taken to safety in someone's back garden - a baby elephant called Sheila. The identity of her protector remained a mystery for years and was christened with the name, "elephant angel". The only concrete information was that the home was located in North Belfast.
The identity of Sheila's caretaker was discovered after Belfast Zoo put a plea out to the media and the public. The "elephant angel" turned out to be one of the former zookeepers, Denise Weston Austin, along with her mother Irene Beatrice Mary Austin.
Denise was one of the first female zookeepers in Belfast Zoo, earning £15 per week. She was employed at a time when many men were called to war. Her father, Jack Austin, is believed to have been an officer in the cavalry and may have served for a time in India.
According to her cousin, David Ramsey, Denise was eccentric and lived in an exotic home in North Belfast called Loughview House. Mr Ramsey also pointed out that Sheila the elephant only lived with Ms Austin in the evenings with the garage being her sleeping quarters.
When the head zookeeper Dick Foster left work, Denise took Sheila from her enclosure, walked her a short distance to her house on Whitewell Road and walked her back up to the zoo in the morning, sometimes stopping at a shop, the Thrones Stores for stale bread. Much to the amusement of neighbours, in the evening Denise and Sheila often went for walks in the local area.
It seemed zoo staff did not know about Sheila's second home until she chased after a dog into a neighbour's garden, breaking the fence. Many of the neighbours were concerned by this event and brought it to the attention of head zookeeper, Dick Foster.
Sheila remained in the zoo after her evening activity was discovered. Denise's fondness for Sheila continued as she visited her in the zoo, particularly at night during the air raids, rubbing her ears to keep her calm.
