Ele-Notes 7 January now online.

Focus on Tarra:

The other morning Caregiver Laurie witnessed Tarra pass right by some alluring treats to greet her sisters Sissy and Winkie in the North Yard. “Tarra pass up treats??” Laurie asked incredulously, “There must have been some seriously urgent lovin' needed!” Tarra, Sissy, and Winkie settled in after the warm greeting and quietly grazed together in their Sanctuary. It's so lovely to see Tarra basking in the camaraderie of her elephant herd. The same day, Sissy was napping while Winkie watched over her, and Laurie brought out piles of hay for Tarra and Shirley. After a few moments, Shirley and Tarra adjusted their hay piles so that they could dine nearer to each other.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=162

Ele-Notes + 2 photos - 11 January 2012:

In Memory of Zula 1975 – 1/11/2009

Zula's absence leaves a large void in our hearts. Yet, the departure of her gentle soul somehow opened a path for Flora to grow and blossom. Flora stepped in to provide support and comfort for Zula's dear companion, Tange, resulting in the ever-closer relationship the two share to this day.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=163

Ele-Notes 13 January 2012 now online:

Focus on protected contact.

Frieda's ongoing foot troubles are always a concern, and she continues to receive daily foot soaks to provide some relief. Thankfully, Frieda has also been wonderfully cooperative with her PC training as well, enabling Dr. Mikota to treat areas in need of attention and Director of Elephant Husbandry, Steve Smith, to trim overgrown tissue, a necessary and important part of sound foot care.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=164

Ele-Notes 21 January now online:

Our Debbie is a very delicate flower and she does NOT like the cold. Even when the sunshine is inviting and pleasant, Debbie prefers the warmth of the barn. But we know the sun and the grass are good for her, so Caregivers will try to coax her outside with treats and hay if they can. If she follows, they give her a nice pile of hay in the bright warm sunshine to enjoy. Once she's gotten brave enough to exit the barn and go outside, she is content. We can't tell if Ronnie feels the same way about the cold…or if she'd just rather not leave Debbie. But if Debbie doesn't go, Ronnie won't go! Minnie, however, doesn't seem to mind the cold, especially since she has her warm barn to return to when she's finished playing in The Sanctuary's winter wonderland. In the past, she has even been known to break the ice on the pond to go swimming! Time will tell if she'll pull her polar bear routine again this winter.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=165

Ele-Notes 26 January 2012 now online:

Happy Anniversary Sissy!

Sissy has been Finding Sanctuary Since January 26, 2000, and today we celebrate her life and her spirit. Sissy has shown remarkable recovery since she came to live at The Elephant Sanctuary. Upon her arrival, she carried “Tire” with her everywhere she went for a sense of security. Now closely bonded with her best friend Winkie, Sissy no longer feels the need for “Tire.” Also no longer afraid of water, she often swims in the pond with Winkie during the Summer. The freedom and unconditional support of her elephant sisters has truly allowed Sissy to grow beyond her fears.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=166

Ele-Notes 28 January now online:

Misty and Dulary's exuberance at reuniting, whether they have been apart for two minutes or twenty, is legendary. They greeted each other warmly, with lots of rumbling and happy vocalizations, ear flapping and trunk touching. Since Caregivers have been offering Dulary everything they can think of to encourage her appetite (they've been spending time on their days off wandering the aisles of Wal-Mart), Misty has been reaping some of the rewards of being best friends with the patient. While Dulary's energy level has been up over the past few days, and her appetite has improved, we are still monitoring her carefully and taking care of her needs until we can be sure she is on the road to recovery. Whenever one of our Girls is not feeling well, we ourselves are sick with concern.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=167

Ele-Notes 1 Feb 2012 now online:

Minnie and Lottie Found Sanctuary January 31, 2006

Happy Anniversary, Minnie and Lottie! On this momentous day in 2006, Sanctuary staff and supporters waited with bated breath for the first two of the Hawthorn Girls on the Caravan to Freedom to arrive. Hope and the promise of freedom filled the air as Minnie and Lottie confidently crossed the threshold into their habitat, their Sanctuary.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=168

Ele-Notes 2 Feb 2012 now online:

Liz and Queenie Found Sanctuary February 2, 2006

On this date in 2006, Liz and Queenie retired to Sanctuary after a life laboring together in the entertainment industry. They performed at Benson's Wild Animal Farm in New Hampshire, then spent nineteen years working in circuses for the Hawthorn Corporation.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php

Asian Ele-Diary 2 Feb 2012 update on Liz.

Liz Update: Everybody Loves Lizzie

So, along with hay and grasses and nutritious things for Liz to eat, come the occasional pastries, tiny pies, and donut holes. Lizzie carefully grasps each little treasure with her trunk before swinging it up to her mouth. She sometimes rolls them up with grass and hay and pops the whole thing in her mouth, like a kid with a giant wad of cotton candy. If anybody deserves to have a sweet tooth indulged from time to time, we figure Liz does.

The end of each successful day of treatment is a cause for much celebration for her compassionate Caregivers. There's a long road ahead for both Liz and her Caregivers – twelve to fifteen months of treatments, but so far, things are looking good. After she's been given her treats each day and Caregivers have rubbed her big tongue, we are all reminded of how grateful we are; our Liz has been given another chance in Sanctuary.

http://www.elephants.com/elediary.php

Ele-Notes 4 Feb 2012 now online:

Dulary Update

As you may recall from the January 28th Ele-note, Dulary has been ill with colic. At one point, her gastrointestinal system basically shut down, requiring that we give her fluids, enemas, and medications for pain and to prevent infection. After intense treatment and concern it finally looks like Dulary has rallied and cheers could be heard over the radio when it was announced that she defecated on her own on Tuesday. She continues to improve daily. She is now "BAR" (veterinary shorthand for "bright, alert, and responsive" ) as opposed to her previous state of "ADR" ("ain't doin' right"). Her appetite remained fairly good throughout her illness but, as we all know, what goes in must come out and that process had seriously slowed in Dulary.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=171

Ele-Notes 7 Feb 2012 now online:

Happy Anniversary, Ronnie and Debbie!

Ronnie and Debbie have become very accomplished with their Protected Contact training, and are the next two of the Q Girls scheduled to be treated. Because Ronnie and Debbie’s regular trunk washes performed through PC recently resulted in a positive test result, that information can now be used in order to determine the most effective treatment plan for them.

Thankfully, neither of the Girls is sick, and we want to keep it that way. In readiness for this day, we have been training all of our Q girls in Protected Contact. Caregivers are already training Ronnie and Debbie to swallow pills, and we will now be able to move forward with the scheduled treatment, armed with valuable knowledge with which to help Debbie and Ronnie, so that they can spend many more years relishing in their freedom, swimming in their ponds, and spending their lives together in peaceful Sanctuary.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=172

Ele-Notes 9 Feb 2012 now online:

In Memory of Lota 1951 – 2/9/2005

Lota was donated to The Elephant Sanctuary and arrived with Misty on November 17, 2004. While her Caregivers hoped she would find physical healing in her new home, Lota's struggle with TB had scarred her lungs irreparably—the disease had already taken an irreversible toll on her body. But what she found in her final days were the clear, crisp air of a mild Tennessee winter, the freedom to wander through pastures and to bask in the sun, until the morning hours of February 9, 2005 when her body gave way and she lay down one last time and, in peace and dignity, left us.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=173

Ele-Notes 10 February 2012 now online:

Happy Anniversary, Billie and Frieda!

On February 9, 2006, there was cause for much celebration when Billie and Frieda, the last two of the eight Hawthorn elephants finally arrived at their new home in the "Caravan to Freedom" rescue. A paperwork oversight delayed their departure by a few hours, and when at last they were safe in their Sanctuary everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=174

Stunning photo and a slideshow to accompany
Happy Birthday and Valentine's Day Tarra!

Today, February 14, 2012, we celebrate Tarra's 38th Birthday. Of course all the Girls who reside here at The Elephant Sanctuary – Tarra included – were born in the wild, captured and shipped to a life in captivity, so we don't actually know any of their true birthdays. But Tarra's has always been celebrated on Valentine's Day, which we think is a wonderful tradition.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=176

Asian Ele-Diary for 14th February 2012 - text and photos:

A Day in the Life of Tarra

http://www.elephants.com/elediary.php

Ele-Notes 21 February 2012 now online:

Focus on the Founding Herd and remembering the the arrival of Tange in 2004.

All of the Girls were treated to an elephant-sized shipment of banana leaves last week, underwritten by a generous supporter. The special delivery was large enough to be enjoyed over several days by all of the Girls! Along with the delivery of banana leaves came container after container of gorgeous blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries, underwritten by a friend of Tarra’s as a special birthday treat for her.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=177

Ele-Notes, with slide show, 1 March 2012 now online:

The Caregivers had an Ele-Enrichment day recently, and had tons of fun rummaging through the treasure trove of toys from the enrichment closet and divvying them up amongst all of the Girls. Cut up sweet potatoes, apples, jelly beans and more filled toy after toy and the Caregivers were so excited as they spread the surprises throughout Asia for the Girls to find ...

... there was Minnie outside their office window. "Look who's here," Deb said. "It surprised both of us! We had not heard her approach – a testament once again to just how quiet an 11,280 pound elephant can be," said Susan.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=178

Ele-Notes 10 March 2012 now online - wonderful photos of Winkie:

At a pace fast for humans but slow for elephants, Winkie came right over to investigate. She put her trunk up and over the top of the fencing and pointed it directly at the camera, then rested it on the top fence rail. Trunks are heavy!

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=179

Ele-notes 17 March online now - with focus on Tarra and Billie, and caregiver/photographer Angela.

Billie, who had never before shown interest in or been fascinated by any parts of the scale, decided that the display panel, which had always been inside the barn and within trunk reach was either now offensive or a fun new toy for her pleasure ...

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=180

Also 19 photos of Tange and Flora in the slideshow - some great close-up shots.

Ele-Notes for 23 March 2012 online now - focus on Tarra and Winkie, and TES is preparing for Liz's TB treatments:

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=181

Ele-Notes 30 March now online:

Beautiful Spring weather brought a lot of activity in the open sunny areas this week. Those viewing the Elecam online were treated to playful swims by Misty and Dulary, leisurely browsing on the plateau by Flora and Tange, and gentle greetings from Minnie, Debbie, and Ronnie.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=182

I received the Spring 2012 Trunklines in the mail today. It is 16 pages with a special insert tribute to Bella.

3 superb photos and a long update in the Ele-Notes for 9 April 2012:

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=183

TES Ele-Notes 20 April 2012 online now - reports, photos and slideshow:

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=184

Ele-Notes 27 April 2012 now online.

Focus on Misty, Dulary, Wikie, Tange and Flora.

Caregiver Kristy said the African girls were quite playful and explorative the other day. "They visited almost every inch of their habitat—I found them in a different area each time I saw them. Even when they were not in view, you could hear them breaking trees in the valley. Flora had a very cute reaction to Tange behind the barn this afternoon. As Tange approached her, Flora lay completely down on the ground and began to roll on her side, very playfully. They touched and rumbled, with lots of vocalizing. The playful interaction was caught on the Elecam for those lucky enough to see it. That moment really showed Flora’s youthful side." Kristy also gave the African Girls some enrichment by rolling their two large balls into the ponds for them to fish out. (Flora and Tange added these ponds to their landscape as a part of their endless renovations). Caregiver Kristy said, "I also stuffed some puzzle feeders full of goodies. Then Tange brought back the empty puzzle feeder back from the yard and left it behind the barn for me to find as if to say, 'Can I have a refill?'"

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=185

Day Jobs (Airtimes on website)

Kellie Pickler – Elephant Care Giver
Animal lover Kellie Pickler has a once in a lifetime experience as a caregiver at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Helping animals has always been an important part of Kellie's life. She learns about some of the tragic stories of their past, and how the Elephant Sanctuary is helping provide a quality of life they would've experienced in the wild. Kellie takes in every moment working alongside the caregivers, as they tend to these magnificent creatures.

http://www.gactv.com/gac/shows_gcday/episo...6_82044,00.html

Did anybody watch? How was it? I just looked at the promo clip on GAC website. Other than the late night/early early morning times, it's on again (Central time) tomorrow Friday the 6th at 9pm, Sunday at 2pm, 7pm and 11pm.

I DVR'd the 2 AM episode. Haven't watched it yet. According to post I read on another site, It focused on Pickler for most of the segment. Rob talked a bit and I'm guessing Steve and a caretaker named Laurie. They did not show any footage of the African or Q Barn areas and it sounds like Pickler went out into the habitat on the back of a 4W. Again, that's just what I read. I will try to take time to watch it this weekend. i did notice, it is one of 3 segments on the hour long show.

Kellie Pickler Scoops Poop At Elephant Sanctuary (VIDEO)

(CELEBRITY NEWS) TENNESSEE — Country star Kellie Pickler spent some time helping out at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. It was part of the series Day Jobs, which features country stars trying out unfamiliar careers. Pickler, a vegetarian, has always had a soft spot for animals and has worked with the ASPCA in the past. Read on for more on Pickler’s “day job” and to watch the video of her with the elephants. — Global Animal

http://www.globalanimal.org/2012/05/03/kel...ry-video/73476/

OK. I just watched the episode I dVR'd early this morning. For those of you that don't know who Kelly Pickler is, she was a contestant on American Idol. She didn't win, but became a successful country recording artist anyway. Her idol is Dolly Parton. Unlike Dolly, she doesn't write her own music and songs but like Dolly, she is a talented singer.

Her segment on this show was divided into two 7 min segments. I thought she was very respectful. Rob opened the segment by talking about the sanctuary. The segment was filmed in the new Asian part of the sanctuary. They spent a lot of time inside the New Asian Barn with Misty and Dulary (I did note that the barn did not look as pristine as it always did when Carol and Scott were there, but it was clean).

Christina Cooper introduced Kelly Pickler then intro'd her to Steve(Scott's replacement). The caregiver Kelly shadowed was Katie, who showed her how they prep the elephant meals for the day. They fed Misty and Dulary in the barn. Then Kelly met Clint Beckley who showed her how they cleaned the elepoo from the barn floors. She then went out into the New Asian habitat to feed Tarra and Shirley who did not come into the barn the night before. They did a little backstory on Tarra and Bella at this point. Then they went back to the barn for a footcare demo with Misty. There was some footage of the sanctuary grounds and the only elephants filmed were the founding herd.

It was an OK episode but I don't think Kelly realizes what an honor it was for her to be so close to the Founding herd.

I just watched it. Nice piece over all. She did say at the end that she considered it an honor to be there, that of all the things she had done this was one of the greatest (or something to that effect, not a direct quote) and that she realized it was a "once in a lifetime opportunity". So I would say she did justice to the occasion. She's young and speaks with quite the twang, so probably not as articulate or polished as more seasoned show biz people.

They did a good job honing in on the basic tenets of the Sanctuary, which seemed not to have changed from Day One, about freedom of choice and a permanent home. They showed old photos of Shirley and Tarra during their performing days. And in the segment on target training and several other times mentioned fear based reactions from people being not so nice to them in the past. They also mentioned the foot problems that zoo elephants develop.

I wasn't at all surprised that they focused on the Founding Herd, who are probably more comfortable with visitors. The Q Barn would be an issue with the TB, and the African barn would find Flora who could have become unsettled with a stranger.

Hopefully many many people saw this or will do so soon, and find their way to support the work of sanctuaries.

Video of the episode, in two parts:

Part I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQQ-DkZgJJ4

Part II

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDCs65Q_fPw

Ele-Notes 5 May 2012 online now - reports, photos, slideshow and videos, and a special mention of Dulary's 5-year anniversary at the sanctuary:

Dulary celebrated the five year anniversary of the day she Found Sanctuary on Tuesday, May 1! In 2007, after forty-one years at the Philadelphia Zoo, the zoo made a landmark decision to close its elephant exhibit and Dulary packed up her trunk and moved to Tennessee. Upon her arrival at Sanctuary, Dulary needed a little convincing from Tarra to descend from the trailer, but once she did, she had a very easy transition to Sanctuary life. Dulary quickly made friends with her new companions, and today her best girlfriend is Misty. Thank you, citizens of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Zoo, for paving the way for Dulary's Sanctuary!

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=186

Ele-Notes 10 May 2012 online now - reports, photos and a video of Tange and Flora.

Dulary is not quite as fond of the sprinkler as Misty is, and on one recent day, she stood nearby and watched her friend's bliss with a rather festive accessory - a vine that lay jauntily on the top of her head, forming a crown of Spring greenery. She let it remain there, a decoration of sorts, as she walked around near the barn, waiting for Misty to finish her shower.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=187

Ele-Notes 15 May 2012 now online:

In Memory of Ned October 10, 1987 ~ May 15, 2009

Ned's joy in his final months could not make up for years of tribulations, and he left us too soon. We will always remember you, Ned!

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=189

Ele-Notes 18 May 2012 now online:

In Memory of Barbara 1966 ~ May 18, 2001

Barbara arrived 2,000 pounds underweight, but everyone soon found her slight frame was no indication of her inner strength. Barbara was a most kind and gentle soul, with a quiet disposition and strong heart. She was elegant. Those who knew her remember she had a special presence about her, and her eyes stirred deep emotions within your soul. She was so elegant and graceful, tall with lovely long legs. "She moved like a dancer," one of our dear supporters recalls with a beautiful reverence.

http://www.elephants.com/eleNotes.php?recordID=190

I volunteered at The Elephant Sanctuary this past Saturday and it was a great experience. I've been volunteering since 2005 or 2006 but this was my first trip there since October of 2010. There was a good group, about 12 or so in all; we divided in to 2 work groups. One group worked with caregiver Brianna clearing perimeter chain link fence lines in a hilly area, and then the group I worked with cleared fence line in a flat area working with a nice gentleman staffer named Wade. It was hot, around 90, but luckily the humidity was relatively low. We used loppers to chop away at small saplings, brush and vines that were growing close to the fence line, or on/over the fence, where the bush hog wouldn't be able to get to without damaging the fence. It was quite a jungle, and we have the chigger bites, poison ivy and ticks to prove it. I don't think Lewis and Clark made it quite this deep into the woods. Wade told us that it's important to keep the fence line intact so as to lessen the opportunity for wildlife to enter the property. On occasion they find evidence of poachers afoot who have shot a deer and then dismantle or damage the fence in an effort to retrieve their prey.

After our work day we had quite a treat; Wade escorted us to the New Asia Barn where, much to our delight, Misty, Dulary, Sissy and Winkie were about near the barn. Misty was relishing a long spritz from the mister, Dulary was busy dusting, and Sissy and Winkie seemed to be just hanging out on the other side of the fence. Caregivers Clint and Katy/Katie, who appeared in the GAC special with county music star Kelly Pickler, were there to answer questions. Misty demonstrated tool usage by using a large branch to scratch her abdomen.

After our visit to the Barn, most of us motored to the Welcome Center in downtown Hohenwald for a great presentation, Elephants Through the Ages, by education staff member Carol Durham. I had volunteered with Carol several years ago when she was still commuting from NYC and it was great to see her again. She presented information about the historical development and evolution of the elephant from the mastadon and wooly mammoth to smaller cousins, their role and relationship to humans thru the ages, and interwoven thru this was narratives about some of the elephants at TES. She showed many slides, including some from Shirley's days in the circus I had never seen before. We saw a short video of Jenny and Shirley's famous reunion. She also showed a bull hook and described how it was used. She also had samples of elephant teeth, and I saw one of Tarra's rollerskates.

Rob Atkinson was there. He did not make a formal presentation but made himself available for conversation with guests to the Welcome Center. I met Rob at the PAWS Elephant Summit Conference in March. We had a nice long chat about a wide range of subjects after Carol's presentation. I find him to be quite amicable, forthright and personable.

There were 4 caregivers present for Q/A; the aforementioned Clint and Katie/Katy, Christie and Brianna.

There were approximately 20 or so visitors at the event, including the volunteers who had worked at TES that day.

Christina Cooper from TES was there as well. She had greeted us at the beginning of our volunteer day. She was very gracious and appreciative of our work.

The Welcome Center looks great. I am assuming the brick walls are original to the building. There were nice display boards with color photos and biographies of the elephants on one wall, and other signage elsewhere. T-shirts and other gift items are available for purchase and displayed nicely.

I am looking forward to my next volunteer opportunity in 2012.

Irishlass, thank you for sharing your volunteer experience with us.

Great report Irishlass!! A grand jam packed day in the tradition of Lewis & Clark---you must have been exhausted ...Wasn't Christie or Christina the one who attended Elephant Summit? Your report of gunfire near the sanctuary is scary as elephants can be concealed in trees and bushes so they are almost invisible....We read about poachers in Africa every day but don't expect them in Tennessee....Best of all times getting to see Misty, Dulary, Sis & Winks!!
Thanks for your notes!!

Yes, Christina attended the Elephant Summit Conference in March, along with Rob and also Steve Smith from TES.

Well, I am not sure if you call it "poaching" or "illegal hunting" but whatever it is, you are right, they are not to be doing it. Their prey (deer) is legal, but their location is not. It's a problem everywhere, I would imagine, even where I live, hunters trespassing on private property. I would imagine that it is a concern that they could accidentally hit one of the elephants. I may be mistaken but I believe the elephant fencing is quite a distance from the perimeter fencing; however it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that a bullet could travel and hit an unintended target. It would be almost impossible to install enough cameras to scan the entire property.

I don't know if anyone actually hears gunfire. The staff just find fencing down and evidence of a hunt.