One year anniversary for Tarra the elephant

On November 18, Tarra the elephant marked the one-year anniversary of her move to Elephant Refuge North America, an 850-acre natural habitat refuge in Attapulgus, Georgia, just north of Quincy and Havana.

It also marks the one-year anniversary of her reunion with her lifelong guardian, Carol Buckley.

Since her move from another elephant facility, Tarra has made a smooth transition to South Georgia’s warm climate and verdant natural environment; she’s reveling in spending time with Buckley and in new friendships she’s made since her arrival at the refuge.

Tarra and Buckley have been together since Tarra was a young calf.

It was Tarra who inspired Buckley to found the nation’s first natural habitat elephant sanctuary, in 1995.

Buckley then founded the Refuge in 2016, building on all she’d learned from her first sanctuary and her experience working with captive-held elephants in Asia.

The refuge’s mild South Georgia climate allows elephants to be outdoors virtually all year, which will be vital to Tarra’s continued health as she ages (she’s now 48).

As they age, captive-held elephants become more susceptible to progressive conditions such as arthritis and osteomyelitis [terminal bone disease], caused by spending winter months in cold climates confined in barns on hard surfaces.

A few years ago, while at the previous facility, Tarra herself was diagnosed with osteoarthritis.

Buckley felt it was urgent to relocate her before the disease progressed further.

Since her arrival, Tarra hasn’t stopped exploring the refuge’s pastures, woods, streams, ponds and lake.

As a result, she’s rebounded both physically and emotionally.

Tarra has also flourished in new friendships she’s made.

Growing up, she spent more time with dogs than with elephants, so she’s always preferred canines and humans to her own species.

She adores Mala and Samie, two mixed-breed rescue dogs who adopted the refuge as their home; and, for the first time, Tarra has a deep, affectionate bond with another elephant, Bo.

Bo arrived at the refuge two months before Tarra; he was castrated when he was five-years-old and grew up with female elephants who were his surrogate aunts, so he has a gentle, patient temperament.

He won Tarra over little by little by giving her time and space to get to know and trust him.

Today the two are deeply attached.

Now Tarra, Bo, Mala, and Samie – or the Fab Four, as they’re known on social media – are constant companions, roaming the refuge in search of new adventures.

Elephant Refuge North America, the newest elephant sanctuary in the United States, is a project of Elephant Aid International, which Buckley founded in 2010.

Buckley, an internationally recognized authority in the rescue, rehabilitation and welfare of captive-held elephants, develops innovative models for elephant care, training and handling.

Her innovative methods are widely copied and adapted for a variety of captive situations in both the United States and Asia.

You can learn more about Tarra, Bo, and the refuge at elephantaidinternational.org

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One year anniversary for Tarra the elephant

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