Two Elephants Explored their New Sanctuary Free of Chains

A great ending to a terrible story. Very surprised to see that the US govt. actually followed through.

“The elephants came to the sanctuary from circus supplier Hawthorn Corp.,

which settled U.S. charges it mistreated a dozen elephants by agreeing to

send them away.”

More on the sanctuary – the Elephant Sanctuary at Hohenwald, Tennessee - they are at can be found here: http://www.elephants.com/

A great place. Support them if you can.

Article:

Unchained elephants explore new sanctuary

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/

02/01/elephant.sanctuary.reut/index.html

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) -- Two elephants explored their new

sanctuary free of chains on Tuesday, the first of four pairs to arrive as

part of an ambitious relocation effort mounted for abused pachyderms,

organizers said.

Minnie and Lottie were the first of eight female Asian and African

elephants to make the 12-hour trip from northern Illinois inside a

custom-built truck trailer to their rural refuge, the Elephant Sanctuary

50 miles southwest of Nashville.

The elephants came to the sanctuary from circus supplier Hawthorn Corp.,

which settled U.S. charges it mistreated a dozen elephants by agreeing to

send them away.

Hawthorn has denied mistreating any animals. The elephants were chained at

Hawthorn and at various circuses when they weren't performing.

Some of the sanctuary newcomers will have to be quarantined for up to a

year because of exposure to tuberculosis, sanctuary founder Carol Buckley

said. All were deemed healthy enough to travel, though one elephant died

last month.

One of the freshly unloaded elephants, which has spent much of its life

chained or confined, was startled when a sapling it grabbed with its trunk

snapped back.

The eight newcomers will eventually join 11 other rescued elephants --

including two originally from Hawthorn -- who live on the sanctuary's

secluded 2,700 acres near the town of Hohenwald.

Buckley, who founded the preserve a decade ago after adopting a baby

elephant torn from its mother, said the relocated elephants will enjoy "a

glorious reunion ... as a family to live out their lives in freedom."

"We had to build a new barn and new fencing and be ready to house and feed

guests who eat an awful lot and are coming to stay," Buckley said.

The sanctuary raised $3 million for a new barn for the elephants and

estimates it needs $2 million a year to look after the eight.

Find this article at:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/02/01/elephant.sanctuary.reut/index.html