In 1992, on the occasion of its centennial anniversary, Industrial Alliance chose the elephant as its company symbol; a choice that was made based on the numerous attributes that the Company has in common with this magnificent animal:

	Strength and energy
	Solidity
	Longevity and memory
	Strong sense of family and responsibility

These qualities, which, despite its enormous stature, make the elephant an endearing and loveable creature, are constantly developed and reinforced throughout its life on the African savannah with other members of the herd.

Meet Angus

Angus is the real-life African elephant that served as the inspiration for a series of Industrial Alliance ads that ran during the mid 90s. Of course, Angus also inspired the design of the Company logo.

Angus was born in 1977. It was during this same year that his young life would take a suddenly tragic turn. Until then, his life in South Africa’s Kruger National Park had been relatively happy and carefree, maybe even too carefree… The number of elephants living within the park’s protected boundaries had grown too large, and the grasses, water, fruits and leaves that served as their mainstay were becoming more and more difficult to find each day. These enormous animals soon turned the once flourishing park into an arid desert. Park authorities eventually had no other choice but to drastically intervene in order to ensure the survival of both the park and its inhabitants.

Angus

Entire herds of elephants had to be destroyed. Even the youngest members were not spared so that they would not have to live with the memory of their family being killed. Everyone knows what a good memory elephants have… Angus was just a baby at the time, only 42 inches high at the shoulder. It was probably thought that he was much too little to remember, which is why his young life was spared.

The little orphan was bought by an animal trader and soon left his native South Africa bound for North America. He was kept in Texas for a time and then continued his voyage northward to Quebec City. How could he have known that he would one day represent Industrial Alliance, a nationwide company whose head office was located in this very city?

In 1986, the Quebec City Zoo donated Angus to the Bowmanville Zoo located in Toronto. It was also at this time that Angus met his longtime friend and trainer, Michael Hackenberger. Michael, who had just bought the Bowmanville Zoo, had already made a 25 year career of his passion for animals. When he and Angus met for the first time, Michael immediately saw the animal’s intelligence, solidity and honesty.

When Angus was nine years old, Michael could still see over his back. Just a few years later though, Michael would require a good-sized ladder to achieve the same feat. Today at age 25, Angus measures 10 feet 4 inches at the shoulder and weighs in at 12,500 pounds. A fine example of a healthy young man in his prime! (Elephants age at the same rate as humans.)

A Day at the Zoo

When he stayed at the Bowmanville Zoo, Angus would always wake up at 8 a.m. after just four hours of sleep on a large rubber mat. He slept in a comfortable barn with eight other elephants. Angus always slept soundly knowing that his sleeping quarters were connected to Michael’s home by video surveillance cameras. In addition to all the other TV channels, Michael’s children also had the Angus Channel!

After a breakfast that was anything but light, the barn had to be cleaned…and so would begin an endless procession of shovels and wheelbarrows. Angus had a healthy appetite. Each day he ate 200 kilos of hay, 15 kilos of grain and 15 kilos of fruit (apples, oranges, pears, bananas, etc.). He would wash it all down with about 400 litres of water. Angus normally drank three times a day, but could sometimes drink as many as four or five times a day during the summer.

Bath time would last until about noon. Two assistants would generously lather and scrub and spray Angus and the other elephants. Once a week, Angus and his companions would get the royal treatment: a full body rubdown with baby oil to make their skin as soft as elephantly possible! The baby oil was delivered in a big tanker truck like the ones used to transport heating oil! Angus loved getting a bath. He was just like a big kid frolicking about in a kiddie pool, playing and splashing everyone. After his bath, Angus would always go out for some fresh air, even during the cold winter months.

When he came in from his walk, it was workout time until 4 p.m.! Under Michael’s constant supervision, Angus would practice the various moves he was learning for his films and commercials. Following another outdoor stroll to stretch his legs, Angus would then take a late afternoon nap, followed by a snack. After a second round of barn cleaning, assistants would leave for the day at 6 p.m. and Michael would stop in again at around 10 p.m. to tuck in his “little angels” for the night.

Training Angus

From the moment he first laid eyes on him, Michael knew that Angus had what it took to be an international celebrity. There was just no mistaking his “star” quality. Angus showed strength, enthusiasm and intelligence. He could perform more than 50 different movements on command and understood over 300 words such as “Ears!”, “Back up!” and “Move over!”. But Angus’ two favourite words were “Good boy!”, because they were always followed by a handful of delicious jelly beans, his favourite treat.

Although Angus was a natural performer, Michael made sure to only teach him movements that elephants do naturally in the wild. For example, elephants stand on their hind legs to pick fruit from trees. They also kneel to dig salt and other minerals out of the ground with their tusks. Of course, elephants use their trunks to spray themselves with water and pick things up. The biggest challenge for a trainer is to teach the animal how to execute these movements on command and with the highest degree of precision.

What is the easiest movement for an elephant to perform? Picking things up with their trunk of course! What is the most difficult movement? Standing on its front legs. Angus’ training can in fact be compared to that of a professional gymnast who must work constantly to develop strength, flexibility and balance.

The secret to Michael and Angus’ success lays in their mutual admiration for one another. They spent a lot of time together and could actually communicate. Michael always knew when Angus was happy, sad, calm or excited, just by the way he held his head, moved his ears or sniffed about with his trunk. One might even compare their relationship to that of a mother and child, with the only difference being the size of the baby!

Angus Superstar

His vast repertoire and solid screen presence made Angus a very popular film and TV star. Despite his huge popularity, Angus never let stardom go to his head. Angus rarely travelled by plane, mostly because Michael didn’t want to have to pay the extra charge for overweight baggage. However, Angus always rode first class in his very own spacious transport trailer that was designed especially for him.

Angus on a shoot

For Angus, acting in films and commercials was just like playing. His enormous talent eventually raised him to the rank of one of the most sought-after animal actors in North America. Moreover, his professionalism was always greatly appreciated on Hollywood film sets where each minute of filming costs a veritable fortune. Angus even got the leading role in a movie that was shot in Africa, a place where there is certainly no shortage of elephants. The film, which is called The Rescuers, was released in early 1998.

But Angus’ favourite acting role remains the Industrial Alliance commercials and ads. “I loved playing with all those children. I had to keep a close eye on my jelly beans though,” stated the star during a special interview.