The mystery surrounding Susie Q, the performing elephant who entertained Charleston-area television viewers for decades, has been solved after 50 years through newly uncovered documents and witness accounts.

Susie Q lived at WCBD-TV’s Mount Pleasant studios from the 1960s through the early 1980s, appearing on children’s programming and promotional events. When the station relocated operations, the elephant disappeared from public view, leaving generations of Lowcountry residents wondering about her fate.

Elephant historian and researcher Patricia Williams tracked down Susie Q’s post-Charleston life through circus records, veterinary documents and interviews with former handlers. The investigation revealed Susie Q spent her remaining years performing with traveling shows across the Southeast before retiring to a private facility in Florida.

“The paper trail was scattered across multiple states, but piece by piece, we assembled her complete story,” Williams said. “Susie Q lived until 1994, much longer than most people assumed.”

The elephant arrived in Charleston in 1967 as part of WCBD’s effort to boost ratings for weekend children’s shows. Station records show management paid $8,500 to purchase Susie Q from a defunct circus in Georgia. The investment paid off as the elephant became the station’s most recognizable personality.

Former WCBD employees recall Susie Q’s daily routine included walks around the Mount Pleasant property and interactions with visiting school groups. The elephant lived in a custom-built barn behind the studio complex, an unusual arrangement that required special permits from Charleston County.

“She was gentle with children and seemed to enjoy the attention,” said former WCBD producer James Mitchell, who worked at the station during Susie Q’s tenure. “But keeping an elephant at a TV station created obvious logistical challenges.”

Those challenges intensified as Charleston County regulations governing exotic animals became more restrictive in the late 1970s. Station executives also faced mounting pressure from animal welfare advocates who questioned the ethics of using a large mammal for entertainment purposes.

WCBD sold Susie Q in 1982 to Circus International, a Florida-based company that provided animals for television commercials and live performances. The transaction, valued at $12,000 according to corporate filings, marked the end of the elephant’s 15-year Charleston residency.

Circus International records show Susie Q continued performing across Florida, Georgia and Alabama through the late 1980s. As she aged, her appearances became less frequent, transitioning from circus performances to educational programs at schools and zoos.

The elephant’s final years were spent at a private animal sanctuary in Ocala, Florida, where she lived with other retired circus animals. Sanctuary records indicate Susie Q died peacefully in 1994 at approximately 45 years old.

Williams’ research also uncovered Susie Q’s pre-Charleston history. Born in captivity at a Missouri breeding facility in 1949, she spent her early years performing with regional circuses throughout the Midwest before arriving in South Carolina.

“Susie Q’s story reflects the broader changes in how society views animals in entertainment,” Williams explained. “What seemed normal in the 1960s became increasingly controversial by the 1980s.”

The Mount Pleasant property where WCBD housed Susie Q is now occupied by a residential development. No historical markers acknowledge the site’s unusual past as home to the Lowcountry’s only television station elephant.

Several longtime Charleston residents contacted by the Sentinel recalled watching Susie Q’s television appearances as children. Many expressed relief learning the elephant lived for years after leaving the area.

“I always wondered what happened to her after the shows stopped,” said West Ashley resident Margaret Thompson, who attended Susie Q appearances at Northwoods Mall in the 1970s. “It’s comforting to know she had a good life after Charleston.”

The revelation comes as other local preservation efforts work to document Charleston’s unique cultural history. Williams said she hopes Susie Q’s story will be included in future accounts of the area’s television and entertainment heritage.

WCBD, now owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, declined to comment on the station’s elephant-owning era. Current management referred questions to corporate headquarters, which did not respond to requests for information.

Williams plans to publish a comprehensive account of Susie Q’s life in an upcoming book about performing elephants in the American South. The research took three years to complete and involved interviews with more than 40 people across six states.

“Every elephant had a story, but most of those stories were never properly documented,” Williams said. “Susie Q was lucky enough to be remembered by people who cared about preserving her legacy.”

The book is scheduled for publication next spring through University of South Carolina Press.