Elephants are highly intelligent and very social animals. Females live in tightly bonded families where they all raise their babies together. They are used to walking up to 30 to 50 miles a day. They show humor, compassion and grief for their family members in intense interactions with each other. Sadly many elephants are not allowed to live their lives out in these natural settings. Many have been captured in the wild by man and used to entertain humans in circuses and zoos. They are abused in training and spend their days in steel pens or chained up for 18 hours a day many times alone. This is a very traumatic existence for the highly social and mobile elephant. Sometimes the elephants strike back at their captors or in certain incidences have gone on a rampage during a performance.
The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee was originally founded to take in the old sick or needy elephants that have been retired from zoos and circuses. It consists of more than 2700 acres and provides three separate and protected natural habitat environments for both Asian and African elephants. The elephants are no longer required to perform or entertain the public, but instead are encouraged to live out their lives as elephants would do in the wild. The elephants that live there are all females since it is the females who form the tight-knit bonds and live in groups in the wild. The elephants that live in the sanctuary tend to pair up with a best friend and do everything together with their friend.
The Elephant Sanctuary is not open to the public since it is a true sanctuary. It does however allow private tours by their sponsors. They are also very involved in education about the elephants to thousands of school children across America through their classroom video teleconferencing program. The public however is invited to check in on the elephants through the use of the sanctuary's webcams that are set up throughout the facility. This way the elephants are not disturbed in their daily lives and left to enjoy their days in peace with just the company of other elephants. The webcams are set up in the three different areas of the sanctuary. Spend some time visiting with the elephants and be sure to check back often.
The video below shows an unusual friendship between one of the elephants and the close bonds that they form.
The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee was originally founded to take in the old sick or needy elephants that have been retired from zoos and circuses. It consists of more than 2700 acres and provides three separate and protected natural habitat environments for both Asian and African elephants. The elephants are no longer required to perform or entertain the public, but instead are encouraged to live out their lives as elephants would do in the wild. The elephants that live there are all females since it is the females who form the tight-knit bonds and live in groups in the wild. The elephants that live in the sanctuary tend to pair up with a best friend and do everything together with their friend.
The Elephant Sanctuary is not open to the public since it is a true sanctuary. It does however allow private tours by their sponsors. They are also very involved in education about the elephants to thousands of school children across America through their classroom video teleconferencing program. The public however is invited to check in on the elephants through the use of the sanctuary's webcams that are set up throughout the facility. This way the elephants are not disturbed in their daily lives and left to enjoy their days in peace with just the company of other elephants. The webcams are set up in the three different areas of the sanctuary. Spend some time visiting with the elephants and be sure to check back often.
The video below shows an unusual friendship between one of the elephants and the close bonds that they form.
Love that thxs for sharing
I LOVE ELEFANTS