Yesterday, I told you about arriving in Nashville for our amazing Buick Bucket List trip.
Well, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is about an hour and forty minutes away from Nashville so, after spending way less time at the Hermitage Hotel than we would have liked, we packed up the Encore, set the GPS and headed out to spend the morning with Education Manager Todd Montgomery and Communications & Marketing Manager Mary Beth Ikard.
Mary Beth had suggested we take the scenic route – the Natchez Trace Parkway, which is run by the National Park Service – and we were glad we did. Quiet, empty and just plain gorgeous, the views are spectacular and gave us a very different look at Tennessee.
When we pulled into the little town of Hohenwald, where the Elephant Sanctuary has its Welcome Center, we were greeted by Todd and Mary Beth, who treated us to a special presentation about the 13 magnificent creatures in their care.
Their stories could break your heart.
Most of the elephants have been brought to the Sanctuary after years in zoos and circuses, and many have suffered abuse. The Sanctuary’s mission is to provide a haven for them, where they can rest, feel at home as part of a herd, receive individualized care for life – and just be elephants.
Because of that, the Sanctuary is not open to the public except for volunteer days one Saturday a month. There is only protected contact between the caregivers and the elephants, and although you can take photos, you can’t post them online because they don’t want people just showing up at the Sanctuary. I was given special permission to share the one above but all of these rules completely made me re-think the way society looks at animals.
Before we came, I have to admit I was kind of disappointed that Todd and Mary Beth kept warning me not to expect a photo like this one from my elephant interaction in Botswana last summer. In fact, she gently suggested I develop a healthy fear of them.
That was one of the most joyous moments of my life and, here, I was going to be with those gorgeous animals again.
But, the more we heard the details of these elephants’ histories – Frieda suffers with terrible foot problems from being locked in barns for years, Sissy was submerged in a flood for 36 hours, Tarra spent much of her life as a mascot in a used auto parts parking lot – I completely understood.
The animals are not here for our entertainment.
Of course it’s a joy to watch them – but it should never be at their expense. They should not be performing in circuses or taking people for rides at fairs or wandering aimlessly in zoos. They should be left alone in their natural habitats. We should be watching them on the Ele-cam instead.
Todd and Mary Beth put together a CD of photos for me, which I turned into this USA Today slideshow. I hope you’ll check it out and then get to know each of the elephants personally here.
These elephants understand and feel deeply, as is obvious in these videos, both of which took place at the Sanctuary.
You’ve probably seen this one of Tarra, whose BFF was Bella, a dog who had wandered on to the property. (Interesting note: a puppy did the same thing the day we were there, and we’re wondering which elephant will befriend her!) According to Todd, “Tarra educated us all on what it means to be a friend and to deal with what life hands you. She taught us to always be ready to meet your best friend.”
And then there’s this one of Jenny and Shirley who had an emotional reunion after 20 years.
Todd and Mary Beth offered to take us on a tour of the Sanctuary, which covers 2700 acres and a 25-acre lake.
They asked if we could drive there in the Encore so, after we took a selfie and made a couple of jokes about which had the bigger trunk – the car or the elephants? – we took the bumpy road into the wilderness the elephants call home.
Thank goodness for the Encore’s all wheel drive.
We drove around the massive fence that protects the elephants from outsiders, and laughed when Todd explained that it’s Flora-tested and, so far, Flora-approved. You see, elephants can’t climb or jump but they can certainly knock things down. Big things like trees and fences. And Flora is a pro at knocking those down.
We also saw where some of the elephants had been buried. It was very moving to hear about the death of Dulary in December, a 50-year-old who had spent most of her life at the Philadelphia Zoo.
When she died, her friends Misty and Tarra both vocalized strongly and stood around her body. It was obvious the elephants were mourning, and they even brought food over to the dead body.
Because Dulary and Misty liked to stay close to the barn, their caregivers were concerned about what would happened to Misty now that her good friend was gone. Much to their surprise, she recently ventured out on her own and is now exploring areas she’s never visited before.
This is great news and proof of the comfort the elephants feel at the Sanctuary.
Todd and Mary Beth told us about the horrendous effects poaching has had on the elephant population – Asian elephants are now on the endangered list and African elephants are vulnerable – and shocked us with the fact that New York City is second only to Hong Kong in trading ivory.
This issue is being brought to the forefront by acts like the Clinton Global Initiative and the dropping of ivory appraisals by Antiques Roadshow. The American Zoo Association has amended regulations so there must be at least three elephants in a zoo, to mimic a tribe. Locally, the petitions we’ve signed have resulted in the end of elephant rides at the Del Mar Fair.
There is hope, and my goal is to keep raising awareness of the elephants’ plight. Who wants to imagine a world without elephants?
All in all, we had an amazing morning with Todd and Mary Beth, which led to lunch at Junkyard Dog, where we continued the discussion, got their recommendations for favorite spots once we got back to Nashville and ate like, well, elephants.
We couldn’t wait to return tomorrow to volunteer.
How neat is that? My kids would love it there.
What a great organization, and I do love their approach…they are not here for our entertainment, we are here to serve them. Thanks for sharing this with us. Can’t wait for the next chapter.
i LOVE that those elephants are kissing! It is so cute and would look great in black and white-framed!
Wonderful space for them to heal and live the rest of their lives. I am so surprised they have these actually but really that’s a good kind of surprised. I just finished reading Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult for review. Her latest book deals with the theme of grief and elephants in a sanctuary environment.
wow how amazing. Those elephant are majestic creatures.
Wow – I love all animals and elephants are no exception. My son and I are currently reading a kids’ book called, “The One And Only Ivan” which is about a gorilla and elephant who are friends, but held captive in a mall “zoo.” As it turns out, we are going to be in Nashville in November for a wedding. I would LOVE to visit this place, but it sounds like you have to make special arrangements and commit to being a volunteer one day? I would certainly do that, but given the wedding festivities, my guess is I wouldn’t have time to fit it in.:(
I’ve read about that place and I am dying to go there. Elephants are one of my favorite animals ever. It’s so sad to see what happens to them in captivity, and how their natural environments are being destroyed.
It’s amazing what they are doing. I hate seeing animals abused and while they look like they’re being well taken care of at the circuses I know its a lot different than what is showed. It surprised me to hear NY is so high up on that list.
I have really gained a new perspective on animals in captivity over the last few years, largely through my kids. I can see how this would be a life changing experience.
What a beautiful story, thanks for sharing. It is wonderful to hear of sanctuaries such as this where abused animals can finish out their days peacefully.
What a fascinating experience. And so sad how the elephants mourned their loss. 🙁
Oh I just love elephants. They are such unique creatures.
So wonderful to meet people who have found and are serving their purpose in life!
And Jenny and Shirley melted my heart!!! Beautiful story Lois! I ca’t wait to read the next installment!
Great pics… Looks like fun 🙂 My boys would love that place!
Wow what an amazing sounding place and what a wonderful thing they are doing. x
This is awesome. I love that there is a safe friendly place for those elephants.
Oh, how COOL! I love elephants, and my kids do, too. I know they’d freak if I could ever get them there!
what great pictures! Love the picture of the elephant’s trunk on your head! What great experiences!
What a wonderful opportunity to volunteer! Elephants are amazing creatures, I’ve always been really interested in them.
Oh wow. This must have been awesome. I love elephants!
The photo with the elephant is priceless! What a great experience 🙂
Wow, what an exciting experience. Thank you so much for sharing this trip with us.
I just love all of these photos of the elephants. Such majestic creatures! And it looks like you had an incredible time, too 🙂
What a wonderful story this is! Thank you.
Looks like so much fun! I go to Tennessee every year. I will have to search for this location.
What a great organization. At least the elephants have a restful and loving home for their retirement. It really is sad when animals are taken out of their habitat and used to perform. Thank you for sharing this magical place with us!
That looks like and amazing experience. My youngest is so into elephants right now!
What a great experience! Love the pictures too, thanks for sharing this. I love elephants!
Looks like an amazing experience, elephants are such gentle giants.
Awesome and inspiring. When I heard you were going there, I knew I would have to add to my list.
I love that you went to the elephant sanctuary! The picture of the elephant playing with your hair is hilarious!
Elephants are beautiful animals. Love the pics.
I love the story of Jenny and Shirley. That is a nice happy ending.
I’m surprised to hear New York is second on the list for trading Ivory!
I love elephants, they are such neat creatures. I absolutely love that picture of you by the way!
Wow what an amazing experience you had at the elephant sanctuary 🙂 Its sad to read about how the elephants had suffered so it’s beautiful to think people care so much to help them now. Thanks for sharing this 🙂
This place looks so cool. It’s amazing that you were so close to the elephants!
I love seeing elephants!
Great work and I love the elephants. We are blessed to have them among us.
The road trip is a classic adventure that provides memories and good learning experiences. A great car is a crucial part of the equation of course.
So grateful for the people who devote their time and energy and love to such beautiful animals. When I grew up, I wanted to have an elephant. Now that I have ‘grown up’ I want to have an elephant…be free to roam like an elephant. Amazing what a difference a little education makes! Thank you for this!
What an amazing adventure for you. A very touching and emotional story about these elephants.