2025 marks 30 years of providing lifetime care for elephants at The Elephant Sanctuary. What a milestone year it has been! This year, we welcomed Mikki and Punch from Louisville Zoo, broke ground on the Redbud Barn Expansion Project, and renamed our barns and habitats after Tennessee trees to honor the environment that supports the elephants’ well-being as well as create a way for those habitats to be flexible and grow with The Sanctuary and the needs of current and future residents.
As we reflect on and celebrate three decades of care for 36 elephants, we are also proactively preparing for The Sanctuary’s future - expanding our Education Program, upgrading facilities to meet evolving standards, and planning new habitats to meet the needs of elephants in our care while also being prepared for others.
$50
providing elephant favorites like watermelons, bananas, and carrots
$100
essential for barn care, regular foot baths, and refreshing showers
$500
promoting natural foraging behaviors
$700
giving elephants soft, natural surfaces to walk on, dust, and sleep against
$1,500
exhibit updates to deepen learning and increase visitors at The Elephant Discovery Center
$5,750
supporting bigger appetites, especially for bull elephants Artie and Osh
The Sanctuary has a three-part mission to provide elephants a natural habitat refuge with lifetime care, promote elephant welfare and conservation, and educate the public regarding the complex needs and challenges of elephants - meaning we desire to comprehensively create a better world for elephants from every angle. From barns built to bull-sized standards to expanded, flexible habitats and upgrades at The Elephant Discovery Center, we are preparing for whatever the future may bring. Every new fence line, piece of elephant enrichment, and international collaboration contributes to protecting and improving the welfare of all elephants - from the elephants in our care to those we support afar - today and tomorrow.
Thank you for celebrating the last 30 years of Sanctuary and sustaining the far reaching impacts of its mission!
Please note: Supporters who mail checks to The Elephant Sanctuary for the 2024 Year End 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 Year End Campaign mailing, click here.