Bertha’s home gone, but memorial planned

Tuesday, April 11, 2000 | 10:20 a.m.

The elephant house, which has stood in the parking lot of the high-rise hotel-casino for 27 years is gone, as are its former occupants.

But the resort plans a permanent memorial to Bertha, who died last years after entertaining thousands at the Nugget along with her original partner Tina and, more recently, Angel.

But casino spokesman Mike Martindale said a number of ideas are in the works for a permanent memorial.

"We'll come up with something very nice," he said. "Bertha is such an integral part of Nugget history and she was an entertainment icon."

The building had been without elephants since December, when Angel, Bertha's 11-year-old sidekick, was relocated to a zoo in Fort Worth, Texas, following her companion's death.

Before that, the Nugget has an elephant performing in its Celebrity Showroom for 38 years.

In 1962, John Ascuaga bought Bertha from a circus museum in Wisconsin. Angel came to the Nugget a decade ago from Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fla., after Tina outgrew the act, which features a smaller elephant along with the full-grown Bertha.

The $75,000 elephant barn was complete with electricity, heat, running water and an outdoor exercise yard.

Throughout the years, it not only housed the elephants, but their trainers as well, who lived in a tiny apartment above the barn. Trainer Don Bloomer left the Nugget last month to become an elephant keeper at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.

Martindale said the memorial to Bertha won't be built on top of the old elephant barn, but will be in a spot where it can be easily seen by Nugget visitors and will recognize Bertha's endearing personality, friendly demeanor and love of performing.

"Bertha continues to be missed," Ascuaga said. "But she will always be a part of the Nugget."