HUDSON – Bret Bronson practically shared a home with elephants.

But he hardly recognizes that home away from home now, 15 years after he and his pachyderms said goodbye to the 165-acre tract that was once Benson’s Wild Animal Farm.

The town of Hudson has converted the once-popular destination spot into a lush recreational reserve, with the hopes of again drawing the masses.

But for Bronson, as impressive as the new Benson Park looks, it won’t replace his memories of the old animal farm and amusement park.

Even from his home in Virginia, Bronson can still hear the chatter of monkeys, see a giraffe and smell elephants.

“The park almost looks, in some aspects, better today than it did when it was open” as an animal park, Bronson said. “But it never can be the same place it was.”

For the better part of a decade, and until the park’s closing in 1987, Bronson worked a variety of jobs at Benson’s Wild Animal Farm. He managed staff, maintained the grounds and cared for animals.

His climb up the animal ladder went something like this: head keeper of hoofed animals, to the man in charge of monkeys – and all primates, for that matter – to elephant caretaker, to assisting with the training of tigers, to finally becoming head keeper of everything.

His stewardship of elephants was supposed to be temporary, until the park could hire a new caretaker. He had no experience with them but soon bonded with the largest animals walking the earth.

Bronson, though, realizes everyone has a soft spot and memory of Benson’s.

“People are very intrigued with that property. You can see that on the Benson’s website,” Bronson said of the tribute Internet page bensonsanimalfarm.com.

“I’m not aware of any place that has that animal magnetism. I don’t know why that is. I wish I had that golden answer.”

After Benson’s closed, the elephants and gorillas still there just couldn’t go off and work a new gig. They needed new homes, so Bronson stayed behind to care for the suddenly unemployed animals.

They eventually landed in other parks and zoos, except for Tonya the Elephant, who belonged to Bronson and stayed on the Benson’s property.

And then, in 1988, Bronson added to his collection: an African elephant named Psavo. Two years later, he adopted three more elephants who were abused by their owner in Michigan.

Bronson tried to make the most of a business touring with the elephants. They entertained and educated schoolchildren and appeared at fairs and Shriners circuses, he said.

The elephants even made a brief appearance in the 1995 film “Twelve Monkeys,” he said.

But taking care of elephants doesn’t cost peanuts. Soon, Bronson had to start finding homes for them, and the last batch landed at Southwick Zoo in Menden, Mass., in early 1996.

“I was excited to be getting out of there,” Bronson said of the then-deserted park. “But it was kind of bittersweet. … It just wasn’t a place of employment. It was more like home than home most of the time.

“I met thousands of friends, some who still stand out today. I worked with hundreds of fascinating animals. We used to joke it was a new adventure every morning.”

Bronson visited the new Benson Park in July and couldn’t believe the efforts of dozens of volunteers who cleared brush, cleaned graffiti and threw away glass and other debris.

“It was sad to see this place of great history fall to the ground,” he said.

Bronson added later: “I can’t believe it now. You know how volunteer groups go, they get wound up but then fizzle right away. You can’t do this much work without getting paid for it. So it’s just phenomenal.”

Albert McKeon can be reached at 594-5832 or amckeon@nashuatelegraph.com.