The Elephant Sanctuary, Hohenwald, Tennessee

Each time a new elephant arrives at the Sanctuary we post her progress on-line, in a diary. As she adjusts to her new life, entries in her diary are less frequent. On-going entries continue to be posted whenever a new or interesting event occurs. This diary began January 2, 2004 when our elephant transport trailer was delivered to the Chehaw Wild Animal Park in Georgia, in preparation of the move of Tange and Zula, our first African elephants. Most recent entries appear at the top.

The African ELE-Pets found a warm and cozy spot to take a group nap—a foot soak bucket lined with fresh hay!

As a postscript to this photo, several e-mails have come in asking "Why don't we spay our cats?" -- As a matter of fact, ALL our dogs and cats are spayed or neutered. These little kittens were born to a stray cat we rescued. Not only did we give all the babies a home, we spayed them as well!

Tange and Zula are exploring farther afield then ever before. They have found not only more pine forests, but the hardwood forests as well.

September 27, 2005
The forest is so beautiful and lush this time of year and Tange has no problem navigating her way through the dense growth. Her main motivator…food. Tange is driven by her stomach and spends the majority of her waking hours in search for MORE!

Slide Show

September 23, 2005
Tange has a way of entertaining herself…continually. Her non-stop energy and easy-going nature makes her a joy to observe. Today the EleCam caught her dashing from one adventure to the next!

Slide Show

August 25, 2005
Another day in paradise. Tange, Zula and Flora savor the warm sunny days and compatible company. Today the resident family of wild turkeys came strolling down the road for a visit. The elephants are quite comfortable with them under foot.

August 23, 2005
The weather has cooled a bit and the girls are taking advantage of the mud. Tange and Flora enjoyed a playful wallow in the mud hole followed by a covering of dirt. All three are perpetual motion moving in and out of camera range all day and night. They definitely got their exercise today!

Tange, Flora and Zula continue to amaze us with their seemingly overnight transformation into a bonded group. Each day they become even more calm and attentive to each other. Zula is so relaxed that she approaches Flora head to head, exchanging trunk touches and responding with deep guttural rumbles. They are sharing food, mud holes and each others company.

The day we have waited a year and a half for; the African elephants have chosen today to become a family. They are all together and from the looks of it cannot get enough of each other. Over the past year and a half not a day has gone by that caregivers did not evaluate what more could be done to help Flora and Zula come to terms with their mutual desire to be in charge. Zula approached the issue with calm patience, trying to win Flora’s acceptance as the leader of the herd, but Flora refused to relinquish. Flora tried to win the position of leader by brute force. Her volatile response to Zula’s calm insistence would result in bouts of physical interaction that tested both elephants' strength, agility, coordination and self confidence. The two are well matched, but where Zula excelled in maturity Flora surpassed her opponent in sheer fearlessness.

The weeks and months passed and Zula never gave up trying to win Flora over. She spent hours engaging her over the fence line. The interaction would get rough and then become a synchronized dance of intertwined trunks, ears and heads. Tange often pushed her way into the mix but more often then not she was pushed to the side as Flora and Zula were singularly focused on each other. Over these many months it was apparent that Flora and Zula were both determined to be the leader, neither wanting to back down to the other. Tange just wanted everyone to get along. For a few months we thought it best that Tange share her time between Zula in the large habitat and Flora in the adjacent area. Each time we would release Flora in the larger habitat she would eventually become overtly aggressive towards Zula. Things changed when we observed Flora become unnecessarily pushy with Tange. It seemed that Flora no longer enjoyed Tange’s company and Tange showed little interest in Flora as well. This situation caused us to reevaluate our approach to Tange, Zula and Flora’s simulation into the habitat.

The decision was made to give all three elephants the time and space to make the transition in their own time, on their own terms. In all fairness to the elephants we allowed ourselves to consider the possibility that they might not ever get along. Over the next several weeks Flora and Zula were observed in affectionate exchanges over the fence line. Their relationship was changing. Today turned out to be the day that an agreement was reached and they decided that indeed they did want to be together. It was glorious to see all three spend the entire day together, playing, grazing, browsing and napping, never more than several feet from each other. Admittedly Zula remains cautious, not completely convinced that Flora will not take a jab at her but by evening all three where in the barn, side by side, calm and content. Today was a day to rejoice; Tange, Zula and Flora are now a family!

After this entry was posted we received an e-mail that reminded us that August 20 is the anniversary of TYKE’S death; the African elephant, owned by the Hawthorn Corporation, who after killing her trainer during a circus performance was gunned down in the streets of Honolulu. Tyke was only 21 years old, the same age Flora was when she came to the Sanctuary. Believing strongly that there are no coincidences, the uncanny similarity between Tyke’s life and Flora’s is sobering. The e-mailer writes… “I always thought Flora reminded me of a lucky version of Tyke.”

Tange and Zula discover a new area of the habitat; the trees provide a perfect refuge from the heat.

Tange, Zula and Flora continue to explore their environment, and make new friends. There is a continual flow of abandoned dogs and cats that make their way to the Sanctuary and the elephants have come to enjoy their company. Several weeks ago a pregnant cat found refuge with us and in the past month 4 more abandoned dogs have found Sanctuary. The elephants are more than willing to share their space. Tange gets goofy when there is a dog or cat in her yard. She lowers her head and drags her trunk on the ground as she runs in a mock charge towards the intruder. Zula and Flora on the other hand show no sign of concern of any kind. Flora has been observed allowing one of the canine newcomers to eat from her grain dish. When a cat or dog approaches Zula, she stands completely still so as not to frighten them away. The girls are doing well, enjoying the mud, the sun and the company.

Tange loves to chase things. Today it was the little cottontail rabbit that hangs out in one of Tange’s favorite areas. The rabbit hopped back and forth across the road several times. Tange ran after her in a mock charge. Soon the rabbit tired of the game and was gone.

May 28, 2005
As the sun sets, Tange and Zula appear to glow in the dusk light, peacefully browsing in their habitat.

May 23, 2005

Staff spent the afternoon helping Zula get out of a mud wallow that has served as an enrichment activity since her arrival. She and Tange were playing when Zula lost her footing. She slid into the mud and onto her side. At first it appeared she was panicked because she let out a roar but she quickly relaxed when caretakers and Tange came to her aid. A caregiver was watching as Zula slid into the mud wallow and was able to give an eye witness account of the incident. With the help of many bales of hay as support and Tange as a “forklift”, Zula slowly positioned herself from her side onto her sternum and up onto her feet. It was remarkable to see how calm she remained while figuring out how to get out of her sticky predicament. There was some concern about her problematic hips but once she was up and out of the mud she showed not signs of distress or fatigue. In fact, within hours she was back in the mud wallow more confident than before.

May 10, 2005
It is hard to believe that the African elephants have been here for more than a year. Their assimilation into the habitat was immediate and from what we see, quite beneficial for each of them. Today a caregiver was able to catch Zula on film when she took advantage of a fallen tree to scratch a really big itch!

As result of life in captivity, Zula had suffered from the pain of arthritis for years prior to coming to the Sanctuary. Thanks to all the exercise she now gets, her condition is much improved and climbing a hill like this one is no challenge.

Today was a day of fun and mud for all of the elephants, but the Africans appears to have an edge on the art of mud baths! Nothing brings us more joy then to watch the elephant engage in abandoned play, seemingly oblivious of anything around them. With each day they grow stronger and healthy, in both mind and body.

Flora and Zula continue to engage each other with energetic play. They were playing for almost an hour this evening. Tange would wander over and join in on the fun for a few minutes and then wander off again.

Zula makes a treat out of a tree branch. One of the many benefits of a natural habitat is access to a variety of vegetation suitable to the species. Tree branches are not only nutritious fodder, they also provide hours of enrichment.

In celebration of Flora’s 23rd birthday and first year anniversary at the Sanctuary, her lifelong guardian and friend David Balding along with wife Laura and members of the Ahali Elephant Foundation sent bushels of fruits and vegetables for Flora to share with her sisters. Thanks to the volume of produce given, Flora, Tange and Zula will be enjoying these goodies for several days.

Today is Flora’s 22nd birthday and her first anniversary at the Sanctuary. From the moment of her arrival Flora has proven to be remarkably intelligent and independent. She has a strong sense of self and a clear image of how she feels things should be. She has formed a wonderful friendship with Tange. The two spend a great deal of time together exploring the habitat and hanging out together. Flora continues to insist that she be dominant over Zula but that arrangement is not yet settled. Even though Zula is 10 years Flora’s senior, Flora insists on being dominant. While they bicker over who gets to call the shots, Tange takes advantage of being the focus of attention. While she works to bring her two friends closer together she enjoys the best of both worlds, sharing the companionship of both Flora and Zula.

Tange has been dividing her time between Flora and Zula. Most days she is with Flora and at night she's with Zula. This arrangement is working out well for all three girls. Zula and Flora continue to work on their relationship, and with Tange going back and forth between the separated habitats the pressure if off Zula and Flora to “hurry up and become friends”. As far as herd dynamics, we have seen over the years that when it comes to elephants, three is really not a good herd size. The dynamics can be conflicting, two picking on a third or as the case with our African elephants, two competing for the third. We look forward to the arrival of other African elephants in the future. Until then Tange appears to be content being the peacemaker, dividing her time between her two best friends.

It is hard to believe that a whole year has passed since Tange and Zula arrived at the Sanctuary. They so gracefully assimilated into their new environment it is as if they have always been here. Their days have been spent exploring new spaces and making new friends, human and animals alike. Not only have they shared their new home with Flora and a bevy of wild turkey, recently two adopted kittens have moved in to share their space. It is exciting to see Tange and Zula respond to new sights, sounds, and critters. The most rewarding part is observing them savor the freedom to simply be an elephant.

Although this photo was taken this past summer we thought you would like to see how Flora eats her watermelons: dainty and whole

Flora has been spending most days in the BIG yard with Tange. Today the EleCam field camera found Flora at one of the many mud wallows. She spent close to 30 minutes playing until she had covered her entire body with rich protective mud.

Flora walked into the restraint chute and onto the scale to be weighed. She was calm and confident. She weighed in at 10,125 pounds; a big girl without an ounce of fat on her.

Nap time is a serious matter at the Sanctuary. The elephants have their favorite locations and time for catching their beauty sleep; usually during the daylight hours. According to researchers, day time is when wild elephants sleep as well, leaving the night time hours for foraging, communing and walking. Today caregivers were fortunate enough to see Zula get up from a nap. She had chosen a soft bed of mud in which she left a lasting impression.

Now that Scott has more time to spend at the African barn he has begun target training with Flora. This training allows greater flexibility for caregivers to comfortably work around an elephant. It is also an important tool for conditioning the elephant to voluntarily participate in standard procedures such as foot trimming, blood draws, baths and non-invasive physical examinations.

Flora is a quick study and curious. Within minutes she understood that Scott wanted her to touch the target with a particular part of her body; head, foot, ear. She did great. At first she offered simple tricks that she had learned in the circus. When those responses were ignored by the trainer (she did not receive a treat for it) she waited for an indication of what Scott wanted. He placed the target near the body part he wanted her to touch and she responded.

This type of conditioning is called protected contact training and utilizes only positive reinforcement. The elephant's participation is invited but if she does not care to participate that is her choice. It is up to the trainer to make the session interesting and rewarding enough so that the elephant wants to participate. In Flora's case, she was extremely interested, a willing participant.

Tange and Zula have been in and out of the restraint chute several times over the past week. Today the caregivers were able to snap photos as the girls as they entered the chute and stood on the scale.

Today started out cold. The pond had a thin layer of ice but that did not deter Tange and Zula from a romp in the mudhole. They had a blast!

Tange and Zula tried out their new scale. They did great! This is the first time either of these two elephants have stepped onto a scale. Although they were curious, they were also cautious and decided not to place all four feet on the platform just yet; maybe tomorrow.

African elephants use their tusks and feet to excavate mud wallows, a continually expanding project. They stand on the edge of the mud hole and pry away chunks of dirt, then grind the dirt down in the water with their feet, creating more mud. The mud is then spread all over their body in two fashions; by rolling around in it and flinging it onto their bodies with their trunk. Today Zula spent some time at her personal mud spa. Later in the day she and Flora were seen interacting at the fence line. They spend quite a bit of time each day developing their relationship. It is obvious that they both perceive themselves as the dominant individual. Only time will tell if one will finally allow the other to be the dominant individual on a permanent basis.

The weather is mild and the rain has been a daily occurrence which adds volume to the creeks and mud holes. Tange loves to excavate the mud hole and she is an expert at it.

Today Tange was hanging out in the barn while one of her caregivers was cleaning. Shawn noticed that Tange had something on her head. This is not unusual, Tange likes to place things on her head and wear them around; branches, hay and clumps of mud, but this was different. On closer look Shawn saw that Tange had picked up one of her favorite toys, the plastic tire, and placed it on top of her head. She proceeded to walk around the barn, careful not to cause the tire to fall. When it did slip off Tange picked it up and carefully placed it just right so it would balance. She then continued about her business walking around the barn. YES, Tange is easily entertained!

Tange and Flora spent a good part of the day together playing in the mud hole and exploring the woods. Zula was nowhere in sight.

December 20, 2004

Zula, Tange and Flora have been integrated. They spent last night together inside the barn and today Flora and Tange spent the day playing. Zula was in the habitat but showed no interest in engaging in activities with Flora and Tange. The days ahead will be wonderful to observe.

These sunny winter days are perfect for leisurely exploring the habitat. Tange always makes sure she packs a lunch for the trip.

December 1, 2004

Flora, Tange and Zula have settled in nicely. The three are quite fond of each other with Flora and Zula exchanging the dominant role almost continually. They are still working on that issue but at least they do not display overt aggression, just posturing. They interact with one another continually, but since their habitat is thick with trees EleCam viewers seldom get to see the exchange. For the past two months all three have spent all daylight hours and many hours in the evening, off in the habitat doing their own thing. This includes browsing, napping and exploring. Their favorite area is the southwest corner of the habitat. Usually they head out that direction immediately followingtheir breakfast and are not seen again for several hours.

Flora has spent a great deal of time redesigning her forest for more overhead natural light. She is felling trees and opening the place up, which has resulted in not only more natural light but also the growth of new vegetation. EleCam viewers can see the number of trees that are down. The good thing is that she has hundreds of acres of trees to play with which should keep her busy for many years ahead. Once she has completed the redesign of her multi-acre yard she will no doubt begin on the larger, multi-hundred-acre habitat.

Even though Tange and Zula may stay gone all day Flora usually comes back just before the 5pm feed. She is a creature of habit and prefers to be in the barn for at least a short time in the early evening. With that need satisfied, she then returns to the habitat and keeps herself busy until the late night feeding. It is Flora's habit to remain in the barn until sunrise the next morning. Many times Zula also can be found sleeping in the barn but Tange likes to head back out into the habitat, always finding something to keep herself occupied.

With all the exercise Zula engages in, the old injuries to her hip and ankle are giving her no problem. In fact, her caregiver watched one day this summer as Zula traversed a muddy hillside to get to where Tange and Flora were. She had avoided the muddy hills for several days but finally built up her courage nd executed the challenge with ease. From that day forward she has not hesitated when faced with such a challenge.

For those who wonder why Flora is not out in the big habitat with the other girls, and when she will be, the answer is simple. Flora will be allowed in with the other elephants when she demonstrates that she can control her aggression towards them. This is not our first experience with an elephant that wanted to be aggressive to another elephant and we know that timing is everything. We must give Flora the time necessary for her to develop a relationship with Zula. The situation might be different if Zula were as healthy as Flora but that is simply not the case. Zula's old injuries could put her in danger of reinjuring if Flora was aggressive. We are pleased with Flora's progress and Tange and Zula's acceptance of her. Considering that all three of these elephants have not lived in a healthy social environment since infancy, we must be patient and allow them to learn to relate to one another in a healthy way. So far we are pleased with their progress.

Congratulations on your 1st Anniversary at the Sanctuary.
May there be many, many more!

Card from Anita Jung

Happy Birthday & First Anniversary at the Sanctuary,
3 March 2005,
dear Flora.

Love Jac

Happy Birthday and First Anniversary

Have a Nice Day


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