Retired circus elephants retire to Florida Refuge

[Catherine]

White Oak Refuge has 17,000, acres set up near Jacksonville Florida for endangered species like cheetahs, rhinos, antelopes and more. Now that more includes 12  retired circus elephants. Barnum and Baily and Ringling Brothers retired their elephants in 2016.  They have been living at a Polk County farm in Florida. White Oaks bought that farm from the circus along with the elephants.  Twelve female elephants were transferred to the larger  White Oaks location. They have adjusted well.
They have been exploring their new habitat and settling in. Food is put out for them, but they are also starting to eat natural food.  
The elephants were all bred and raised to work in the circus so this is as close to living wild as they can have. They can roam freely at the refuge with some human support. The rest of the elephants at the Polk Farm will be transferred to the larger sanctuary when it is the right time. Any elephants that are not able to make the transfer can live out their lives at the Polk Farm. Sadly some of the elephants are very old  and the trip might be too much for them.

Whatever happens the elephants will live in peace and never be exploited for human entertainment again.


https://people.com/pets/former-circus-el...sanctuary/

This is wonderful news.  I watched elephants in circuses as a child and I had no idea  how they were being treated.  We can't help the ones that are gone, but we can make life as good as possible for the remaining elephants. It is the least we can do. We have exploited to many animals for too long. This is a bit of reparation that at least benefits the children of all the many elephants that were exploited over the years. I hope they are all able to make an adjustment to the larger refuge and live life free, with a little help from their human friends.