Elephant fun at Kane County Fair

You've probably never seen crowds react to harmonica music the way they do when Shannon plays it.

That's because she's an elephant.

The 5,500-pound African mammal is one of the main attractions at this year's Kane County Fair in St. Charles, where she performs in Midway's "Elephant Encounter" show.

The free program is run by Florida elephant keepers Bill and Cindy Morris, who have trained their "musically inclined" jumbo-friends to play harmonica, tambourine and trumpet, and even carry Mrs. Morris around with their mouths.

The Morrises also seem to have taught their stars - 26-year-old Shannon and her Asian counterpart, Cora, 48 - to have senses of humor. The elephants ham it up for cameras, dance to funk music, and laugh when tickled. Cora eats a loaf and a half of bread in one gulp.

"We put our time in with these guys," Bill Morris said. "We've earned their trust."

Aside from tricks and dancing, the elephants interact with the Morrises during an educational portion of each show.

On Friday, about 50 people applauded as Morris and his elephants worked together to demonstrate how they eat and explain anatomical differences in the two species.

Reacting to Morris's command, Shannon stretched her ears out for a majestic pose that would be used to ward off a threat.

"If you were to see this in the jungle," Morris told the crowd, "you better get out."

Despite the animals' potentially intimidating size, Ariana Wright, 9, of St. Charles, didn't seem nervous getting up close with Cora.

Ariana was called into the staging area as a special assistant to hold a trumpet up for Cora. As the giant played some music (presumably "free jazz") with her trunk, Ariana said she got a bit of a shower from her new friend.

"It was wet," she said later.

According to Morris, Shannon was acquired in 1984 at the age of 18 months. Cora, who he's also had for years, had a role in the 1980 film "Smokey and Bandit 2."

Morris, a third-generation elephant trainer, said elephants are like family to him.

"I grew up with a lot of big friends," he said.

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