Normally, I would expect to find elephants in Africa or Asia, but Tennessee happens to be home to one of the largest elephant safe-havens in the country. The Elephant Sanctuary began in 1995 in Hohenwald, Tennessee, by Carol Buckley who intended to retire her elephant, Tarra. The nonprofit expanded by acquiring more land to hold more elephants. A dispute between Buckley and the organization resulted in a custody battle over Tarra after Buckley left to establish a new Elephant Refuge in Georgia. Although the Sanctuary lost custody of Tarra, it continues to thrive, hosting 12 elephants on over 3,000 acres of land.
The Elephant Sanctuary’s mission is to “provide elephants with individualized care, the companionship of a herd, and the opportunity to live out their lives in a haven dedicated to their well-being.” It also serves to educate the public on elephant needs and the current crisis they are up against in the wild.
Elephants are keystone species that play a vital role in maintaining our ecosystem. There are three surviving elephant species: the Asian elephant, the African Savanna elephant and the African Forest elephant. Elephants are socially led by the matriarch, the males leaving the herd in their teenage years before sometimes banding in small groups or traveling solo. The African Savanna elephants can make up herds as large as 70 members.
Elephants are intelligent animals and are the only remaining proboscidean mammals, other extinct proboscideans being mammoths and mastodons. Emotionally intelligent, elephants can express compassion and grief at the loss of a family member. Their lifespans are between 48 and 70 years, but those in captivity often live much shorter lives. The giants’ diets consist of different plants depending on the species. A third of its tusks are embedded in its skull and contain tissue, blood and nerves. The trunk serves multiple purposes including communication.
At the Elephant Sanctuary, the primary goal is to care for and keep the elephants safe which is why their habitats are closed to the public. However, the website has three “Ele-cams” for watching the elephants on a live camera feed. So far, I have seen six elephants on two different camera views. In addition to the live cameras, the Elephant Sanctuary has a Discovery Center in Hohenwald to help the public learn and explore all things elephants, including the dangers elephants face such as poaching, risk of capture and loss of habitat. Admission is always free, but donations are appreciated.
According to the Sanctuary’s 2023 report, it costs nearly $7 million a year to provide care for the elephants with most of the funding provided by public support. The Discovery Center had over 3,000 visitors and also offered over 400 distance learning programs across the globe in 2023. The Elephant Sanctuary continues to rescue elephants from all over the world today with many of them coming from zoos and circuses. Each elephant’s bio can be found on the Sanctuary’s website.
The Elephant Sanctuary collaborates with other elephant havens in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa. The most recent news at the Sanctuary is that Osh met Nosey and Edie. A heartwarming photo captures the elephants embracing as their trunks wrap around one another. An uplifting video of the elephants getting to know each other depicts the friendly giants and their desire for social connection and intimacy, much like humans.
