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USA Today
06-04-2025
- General
- USA Today
For 3 decades, elephants have found a peaceful retreat in an unlikely place: Tennessee
For 3 decades, elephants have found a peaceful retreat in an unlikely place: Tennessee The nation's largest natural elephant habitat celebrated its 30th anniversary in March. Show Caption Hide Caption Meet Dr. Sarah Cannizzo and her groundbreaking work at Fort Worth Zoo Fort Worth Zoo associate veterinarian, Dr. Sarah Cannizzo, talked about her groundbreaking work at Fort Worth Zoo. As Nashville grows and changes at a breakneck pace, a parcel of land just an hour outside the city is growing increasingly wild — and has been for the past 30 years. The Elephant Sanctuary, in Hohenwald, celebrated its 30th anniversary in March, marking three decades of adopting former circus and show elephants and allowing them to retire in peaceful wilderness. Started in 1995 with just one rescued elephant named Tarra who roamed 110 acres of land, the sanctuary has grown into the nation's largest natural habitat refuge for elephants at 3,060 acres, including an educational center for the public. Wide open fields and native foliage provide a backdrop for 12 retired African and Asian elephants to live out their golden years under the loving care of their handlers. Janice Zeitlin, CEO of the sanctuary since 2013, expressed excitement for the future of the sanctuary and said reaching the anniversary is 'overwhelming.' 'We're sharing this world with some really beautiful and wonderful creatures,' she said. 'And we need to take care of them. We need to be respectful and keep them safe.' The habitat has seen its fair share of heartwarming stories — from a documentary-inspiring friendship between two elephants as well as the refuge serving as partial inspiration for the book 'Leaving Time' by best-selling author Jodi Picoult — and hardships, like the decade-long legal fight over ownership of the sanctuary's first elephant and the accidental death of an elephant trainer in 2006. The gentle giants that call the sanctuary home — of which there have been 34 in total — come from a wide range of circumstances. One from the Louisville Zoo, a number from a private owner in Chicago, two from the Knoxville Zoo and even one from the cast of the 1988 "Big Top Pee-wee" movie. 'In many of these situations, the zoos and owners are making decisions because their elephants are getting older, and they really want them to have socialization opportunities that they might not have gotten previously,' Zeitlin said. 'Elephants really need social opportunities. They're very social creatures.' One favorite resident of the facility, Shirley, born in 1948 in Sumatra, made a tremendous impact on her handlers. The Asian elephant, a former circus performer, survived an unlikely sequence of events, including being kidnapped by forces belonging to Cuba's Prime Minister Fidel Castro, a shipwreck off of Nova Scotia, a truck wreck, being attacked by another elephant and living for 20 years as the only elephant at a small zoo in Louisiana, before retiring to the sanctuary. She died in 2021 at 72 years old, making her the second-oldest elephant in North America. Shirley's story: North America's second oldest elephant dies at 72 in Tennessee sanctuary 'Shirley was just really special,' Zeitlin said with emotion. 'She was so intelligent and entirely her own animal. Shirley kind of epitomized what this sanctuary is all about: giving a home to and helping these big animals have a safe place where they're taken care of through their lifetime, through all those phases of life.' Looking to the future, Zeitlin said the refuge is excited to be developing its international partnerships and advocating for elephants everywhere. 'We give out grants once a year for protecting elephants and trying to create better welfare for them, both in human care and in the wild. … We have a group in Vietnam that helps elephants retire from giving rides to tourists, and another group that's tracking elephants through India and trying to keep pathways open from human conflict,' she said. 'We just want to create a better world for elephants wherever they are.'
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Louisville Zoo announces passing of 41-year-old rhinoceros: ‘A wonderful animal to work with'
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — The Louisville Zoo announced the passing of a rhinoceros who died on Wednesday. Sindi the southern white rhino had been a fixture of the zoo since 1985, staff said. In recent years, she underwent treatments for arthritis and other conditions. On Wednesday, Sindi was put to sleep to give her a peaceful end. Beshear vetoes anti-DEI bill for public Kentucky colleges: 'House Bill 4 is about hate' 'These tough decisions are made with a deep commitment to ensuring the best quality of life for all our animals,' Louisville Zoo leaders said in a news release. Zookeepers noticed that she was an active participant during health tests. 'Sindi had been a major contributor in her own healthcare in recent years as her age progressed,' said the Zoo's Associate Veterinarian Dr. Erica Lipanovich. 'She actively participated in her training, allowing the veterinary team to draw blood and address issues routinely and with ease. She has been a wonderful animal to work with and will truly be missed.' Louisville Zoo Director David Maloney thanked the community for loving Sindi as much as the staff did. Read more of the latest Kentucky news Visitors can still observe Letterman, a fellow rhino, in the habitat the pair used to share in the zoo's Africa Zone. The Louisville Zoo is open daily year-round. Until Sept. 21, its hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information can be found at the zoo's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
