Miss Fancy the Elephant
Birmingham, Alabama
A bronze statue of Birmingham's most famous animal was unveiled in December 2022, sculpted by local artist Nelson Grice. Miss Fancy came to Birmingham with a New York circus in 1913 and stayed for over 20 years, giving rides to children and occasionally helping pull motorists out of potholes. The portly pachyderm lived in Avondale Zoo and weighed 8,000 pounds. Her trainer would take her for long rides on nearby streets, and locals sometimes unwisely fed her whiskey, which would make Miss Fancy break out of her enclosure and run through the neighborhood yards, looking into windows.




