8 former circus elephants celebrate one year of freedom!

[RedGlitter]

One Year Anniversary of Rescue of Eight Former Circus Elephants Thursday, 11:50 PM

Press ReleaseSource: The Elephant Sanctuary



The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee Celebrates One Year Anniversary of Rescue of Eight Former Circus Elephants



Thursday January 25, 10:48 am ET

HOHENWALD, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--One year ago, eight elephant veterans of the circus, Minnie, Lottie, Queenie, Debbie, Ronnie, Frieda, Billie and Liz were chained in a dark windowless barn. They had been that way for nearly two years. Today they spend their days roaming over 200 acres in middle Tennessee at The Elephant Sanctuary, enjoying the best life a captive elephant can have. On January 30 2006, these eight former circus elephants began their move from the Hawthorn Corporation in Illinois. Dubbed "The Caravan to Freedom", the entire group was moved, two by two, over the course of two weeks, with the last two elephants arriving on February 9, 2006. The media attention was enormous, including a feature story on CNN, whose camera crew traveled from Illinois to Tennessee with Sanctuary co-founder Scott Blais and two of the elephants.

The move was prompted by a US Department of Agriculture law suit against the Hawthorn Corporation. The move to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, which is the nation's largest natural habitat refuge for African and Asian elephants, was the culmination of a two year effort to rescue this herd of elephants.

When the Hawthorn elephants, now fondly referred to as the "Divas" arrived at The Elephant Sanctuary, their behavior and personal interactions were strained and bordered on abusive, reflecting the way in which they had been managed for decades. They lacked patience with and compassion for each other; they related through intimidation and brute force. In the past year, their behavior has changed dramatically, and the herd interaction has matured and softened. Additionally, the Divas' health has improved dramatically. Liz and Frieda both arrived severely underweight but have gained a combined total of over 2000 pounds.

The Elephant Sanctuary has created the Elephant Health and Welfare Institute as a result of the rescue of this herd of elephants and their exposure to the human strain of tuberculosis while at the Hawthorn facility. The Institute collects data and conducts non-invasive research to develop diagnostics and treatment for captivity induced ailments, specifically osteomyelitis and the human strain of tuberculosis. In fact, the Institute recently became involved in research for a new method of detecting TB, which could eventually allow screeners to use one test to diagnose the sickness across various species--including human. As Carol Buckley, Executive Director of The Elephant Sanctuary states, "Saving these elephants has an added benefit, the information they provide about their disease may one day help save us."

Operating on 2,700 acres in Hohenwald, Tennessee, The Elephant Sanctuary has been developed specifically to meet the needs of endangered African and Asian elephants. The nonprofit organization, licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, is designed specifically for old, sick or needy elephants that have been retired from zoos and circuses. A true sanctuary, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is not intended to provide entertainment: resident elephants are not required to perform for or entertain the public. Instead, they are encouraged to live like elephants. As stated by Phil Snyder, former regional director of the Humane Society of the United States, "The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee represents the future of enlightened captive elephant management."

To find out more about the plight of captive elephants, and to monitor the progress of the Divas and the other residents of The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee please visit our website at www.elephants.com.

[OzBoy]

What a great feel good story this is! If only our news coverage and media events focussed more on stories like this one the world would be a happier place!

Thanks Red

[Red]

Aw bless le elephantes