Mardji

Mardji the Elephant

 Mardji (AKA: Margie - an Asian: Indian "Chang Pang", a female elephant without tusks) was born wild in Thailand (western/southwestern) in 1953.

She was put into service for Creative Animal Techniques (C.A.T. - Saugus, CA) in the in the late 50s/early 60s.

Mardji and a younger female elephant, Bandula, were acquired by Marine World/Africa, USA (Now Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, CA), they arrived at Redwood City on June 1, 1971.

Mardji died (via euthanasia) on November 26, 1995 after suffering from chronic bone inflammation.

Note: Several sources state that this Margie the elephant of TV and film died (with several other elephants) in New Mexico 1979 of food poisoning, that is another Margie (AKA Marie) who spent her whole life in traveling circuses.

Film
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back~1980 (model for AT-AT's)
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope~1977 - Bantha (one of her on-set trainers was Bob Spiker, he was also the Tusken Raider who sat upon her)

TV
Elephantastic~1989 - Herself
The Pet Set~1971 - Herself (w/host Betty White and guest James Brolin)
The Boy Who Stole the Elephant~1970 - Queenie (as Margie)

Daktari~1966 - Judy's Hour of Peril (as Margie)
Mister Ed~1962 - Margie in Wilbur and Ed in Show Biz (as Margie)

Lassie~1960 - Peanuts in The Elephant (as Margie)

Commercials
Opel Kadett (through C.A.T.)1968-1970

Skippy Peanut Butter (through C.A.T.)

Awards, Honors, and Nominations
PATSY (Performing Animal Television Star of the Year) Award:
1970 Rec'd Best Individual Performance by an Animal Actor on TV for The Boy Who Stole the Elephant

Miscellany
1976 - Mardji was first transported to the set of Star Wars: A New Hope in 1976.  Mardji, unaccustomed to the heat of the Southern California desert in the Spring, was very uncomfortable in her Bantha costume and tried to remove it as often as she could while the cameras rolled, however, according to her trainer, Bob Spiker and others on set, she did enjoy some of her non-costumed time during filming.

1971 - Was trained by Carl Thompson (pictured below) and Bob Spiker (and others) and was said to be one of the nicest elephants in the world.

Photo from Ebony Magazine Sept 1971

Weighed 8,500 lbs. as an adult.

Was trained to water ski.