The story of Shirley and Jenny began almost 25 years earlier when they were circus elephants together. Their life as circus elephants meant that they were chained for 23 out of 24 hours a day, transported in tiny train cars and forced to perform on demand before screaming masses of people. Jenny was just a infant brought from Asia and Shirley became her surrogate mother. But they were soon separated.

Shirley's life had remained one of stress, confinement and cruel discipline for the next 23 years. But after a serious leg injury she was dumped at a shelter for cats and dogs which was not equipped to accommodate a full sized elephant, let alone one who had medical needs. A committed animal rights activist contacted an elephant sanctuary and Shirley was soon transferred to their care. Ironically it turned out to be the same sanctuary that Jenny had been taken to years earlier.

The shelter was the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee. The video below shows the touching reunion of Shirley and Jenny in the year 2000. They had not seen each other for over 2 decades but they had not forgotten each other at all. Right away, the two old friends were again inseparable, roaming the sanctuary side by side. Their bond was so intense, it would forever change life at the sanctuary. After Shirley's arrival, the other elephants who had previously been companions and friends were now sisters and aunts in the mother and daughter relationship of Shirley and Jenny.

Then in 2006, on Oct. 17th, Jenny succumbed to an infection in her crippled leg. Shirley, Tara and Bunny were with Jenny during the day before consoling her. Then the next morning, Shirley could no longer bear to watch her friend suffer so she moved off into the woods to begin mourning her impending death. Bunny and Tarra remained with their ailing friend, stroking her with their trunks and trumpeting in response to her moans. That night, Jenny passed away and Bunny and Tarra remained with her body until day break.

Shirley stayed in the woods until Jenny passed and then she didn't eat for two days. Shirley's whole life was about taking care of Jenny - it was like she had lost her baby. Bunny went in search of Shirley and stayed with her during those 2 days of deep mourning. Shirley’s mourning of Jenny was real and very evident by her appearance. Her trunk dragged along the ground, her shoulders slumped, and she was unable to open her eyes completely. She could not eat, and refused to trumpet.

It was a very hard time of loss for Shirley and the other elephants. But before long a new elephant came to the sanctuary. Her name was Misty and she was fun-loving and cheerful. It was in Misty that Shirley found a new friend and began to live life again. Elephants are extremely intelligent and emotionally bonding creatures quite like humans. The story of Shirley and Jenny is a beautiful testimony to that.



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.