An Elephant from Harrod's?

From Afflictor comes notice of the close of the pet store inside Harrod's department store:

“According to a popular story, when Ronald Reagan called the Animal Kingdom pet shop at Harrods, the luxury London department store, and asked if the store sold elephants, the agent on the line replied, ‘Would that be African or Indian, sir?’ As of this year, the world famous store closed the Animal Kingdom to make way for more racks of women’s apparel. A London tabloid dubbed its closing the end of ‘one of the most extraordinary eras in retail history.’ For decades, Animal Kingdom was a fantasy come to life. The above story appears to be a myth — Reagan actually received a baby elephant from Harrods as a gift from the exiled crown prince of Albania, who lived in California when Reagan was governor. But wealthy Harrods customers did buy lion cubs, rare birds, and even an alligator. The Daily Telegraph quoted a patron: ‘It’s a great shame, it’s a London institution and an amazing place to go.’

Harrod's pet store was one of those places that would sell anyone anything, and who cared where it came from or where it was going? 

In 1951 the Canadian actress Beatrice Lillie bought an alligator from Harrods for Noël Coward, the writer and playwright, for Christmas.

In 1969, two Australian backpackers bought a lion cub for 250 pounds.  That lion, named "Christian" quickly outgrew their apartment, and was eventually released back to the wild by conservationist George Adamson, of Born Free fame.