7 Disney Characters Who Probably Died After The Credits Rolled

2. Dumbo & His Mother Probably Died From Stress-Related Illnesses In The Circus - Dumbo

Dumbo is the classic Disney tale of a young elephant who - using his abnormally large ears - discovers his ability to fly and is declared to be a star. When the film begins, Dumbo - whose real name is Jumbo Jr. - is ridiculed for his weird appearance and is made to feel like a laughing stock. It's only when a mouse named Timothy tricks him into flying that he realises he's got something special, and the film ultimately ends with Dumbo and his long-suffering mother becoming media sensations, whilst they're upgraded from a stuffy carriage on the circus train to a much nicer one. Perhaps the weirdest thing about the ending of the movie, however, is that it doesn't allow Dumbo to go free or find a better life in an elephant sanctuary or something - he's still working in the circus when the credits roll, doomed to spend his life performing for the masses (albeit with a better carriage) until he can't take it anymore. Still, Dumbo is sure to live a pretty long life, at least, right? Well, no, probably not, actually: whilst elephants live as long as 70 years in the wild, in captivity they don't tend to live past the age of 14 - especially in the circus. The mental stress and limited space pretty much ensures that elephants die relatively young, which means that Dumbo's mother probably hasn't got a lot of time left when the story comes to a close. And given that Dumbo is the biggest star in the circus, the pressure would take its toll... it probably wouldn't have been long before poor Jumbo Jr., too, met his maker.