Two Lions and a Hyena
It was Emperor Menelik II of Abyssinia (Now Ethiopia). who sent TR the two 8-foot-tall Elephant Tusks that frame the North Room.
Menelik reigned for 24 years from 1889 to 1913 and transformed Ethiopia. He stopped the slave trade, established the Bank of Abyssinia, built railroads and forged successful diplomatic relationships particularly with Russia. In addition to the tusks Menelik sent Roosevelt two lion cubs and a hyena.
The cubs didn’t survive the trip. One died onboard ship and the other died shortly after arriving.
However, the young hyena made it to the White House where it had free run of the Executive Mansion. The Roosevelt's named him Bill. He used to beg for table scraps and TR said he could actually teach him tricks.
Eventually small hyenas grow up into big hyenas and big hyenas don't make good house pets. It didn't take long before Bill was shipped off to the Bronx Zoo.
