There's an old-age home for elephants... a fabulous retreat for elderly, sick and abused pachyderms, dedicated to making their sunset years a pleasure.

The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tenn. is the only natural-habitat refuge in the United States for endangered Asian elephants that have been retired from zoos and circuses."Most people never think about what happens to elephants when they are too old or too sick to perform," Carol Buckley, cofounder and executive director of The Elephant Sanctuary told The ENQUIRER.

"Here they live as nature intended and not in chains."The residents thrive at the 222-acre refuge, 65 miles outside of Nashville. They enjoy life again in a setting of green pastures, spring-fed ponds and even a heated barn for cold winter nights.

Right now seven elephants call the retreat home, but Carol ultimately plans to house as many as 100 of the big beauties.

A former elephant trainer, Carol has been involved for 27 years with the animals — including Tarra, the world's only roller-skating elephant. The prominent pachyderm — who also won national attention for her ability to paint — became the first resident of The Elephant Sanctuary.

The giant mammals each eat about 150 pounds of food a day. "Our elephants get the majority of their diet straight from the land during the growing season," said Carol.

"Elephants walk up to 50 miles a day, and they need the freedom to move about unrestricted," said the elephant expert.

The sanctuary is a non-profit organization with a small staff. "The elephants have complete access to the entire area," said Carol.

One of the longest-lived mammals, elephants live 60 to 70 years in the wild, but their life span is usually cut short in captivity. "They are kept in tiny enclosures in zoos," Carol told The ENQUIRER. "Some are physically mistreated and emotionally neglected, and many have lived alone when they are very sociable animals. All of this kills them early

The Elephant Sanctuary, which opened its doors in 1995 is closed to the public, but anyone can enjoy live images of the Jumbos by logging on to www.elephants.com. Cameras positioned around the grounds monitor them 24 hours a day.

—S.D. HUBBARD