Former John Ball Zoo Statue Finds New Home At Ice Cream Shop

An old friend that anyone who visited John Ball Zoo in the sixties and seventies would recognize has returned with a new coat of paint and a smile, ready to greet anyone who comes to visit Charley's Ice Cream and Grill. 

No, it isn't Zooella, back from the dead, but a statue of her that was erected in the 1980s. Zooella is the only elephant to ever call John Ball Zoo home, where her exhibit housed her from 1965 to 1978.

The statue that was created in her memory has changed hands many times, spending many years in Gowen before the owners of Charley's Ice Cream and Grill asked the owners if they'd be willing to sell.

Five years after the original request, the owners of Charley's received confirmation the owners were willing to sell, however, the statue was in dire need of repair. But the team at Charley's was more than prepared to do so because as locals, they understand what the elephant means to the community.

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Taylor Kraal, one of the owners of Charley', said this in an interview with WOODTV:

At Charley’s, we’re really big on bringing in community and family, too, and I think that was a theme when Zoella came to the zoo. She was a huge part of what brought people in there to see her exhibit. … (We) really hope that the statue continues to do the same thing that Zooella did at the zoo, but for Charley’s,

If you'd like to see Charley the Elephant in all of its restored glory, it can be found at Charley's Ice Cream and Grill, 14680 Lincoln Lake Ave NE Gowen, MI 49326.