African elephant Edie, from Zoo Knoxville, was one of five new elephants that arrived at The Sanctuary this past year. Edie captivated the staff with her vocalizations and bright spirit. Within a few short months, Edie was playfully sparring over fence lines and sharing hay enrichment items with her new herd mate, Nosey. These activities contribute to an elephant’s physical and mental well-being and indicate the natural behaviors the Care Staff looks for to ensure new elephant residents are settling into life at The Sanctuary.
We recognize elephants as incredibly intelligent and versatile creatures that have roamed the Earth for millennia, adapting to diverse environments. The large floppy ears of African elephants help cool their bodies in hot climates, and the behavioral nuances of Asian elephants, from rumbles to full-on trumpets, facilitate communication in dense, forested habitats.
Each elephant’s adaptation journey is unique at The Sanctuary as they grow in comfort and settle into their 3,060-acre new home. Your support to the Spring Campaign enables us to grow and adapt our elephant care to meeting each elephant's unique needs, dedicated to providing care that is individualized and tailored to them.
Individualized elephant care requires items including...
$50
Coconut oil for elephant skincare
$100
Two bags of Mazuri feed
$500
Two 8-foot ladders for bull barns
$750
Sand pile for elephant comfort
$1500
Durable ball for elephant enrichment
$3500
Industrial refrigerator for elephant produce and grains
This year, as we continue supporting our 2023 arrivals Artie, Donna, and Edie, our integrated Veterinary and Husbandry Teams are tirelessly providing the best individualized care for our long-standing residents Nosey, Flora, Sukari, Tange, Debbie, Minnie, Ronnie, Billie, and Sissy. Meanwhile, our construction crew is hard at work completing new bull barns in preparation for future bull resident, Tonka, from Zoo Knoxville, and the introductions to Artie, our first resident bull.
It is both an honor and a privilege for The Sanctuary to care for and meet the complex needs of all the elephants at every stage of their lives. We warmly invite you to partner with us in celebrating new beginnings and opportunities for our resident elephants, as well as in preparing for those yet to come. Join us, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, in enthusiastically committing to the fulfillment of our mission: to provide home, herd, rest, and refuge to elephants here, and to contribute to our collective effort for a better world for all elephants. Thank you for your unwavering support.
Please note: Supporters who mail checks to The Elephant Sanctuary for the 2024 Spring Campaign will have their gifts counted and recognized in our goal progress on this page.
To view or download a digital version of the full Spring Campaign mailing, click here.
