Around 30 Asian elephants, who once unwillingly performed for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, will soon permanently relocate to the safety and comfort of the newly-constructed White Oak Conservation sanctuary near Jacksonville, Fla.
The retired pachyderms will have 2,500 acres of space to roam, socialize, and engage in other natural behaviors as they spend their remaining years in Yulee on the banks of the St. Marys River.
Since retiring from the circus in 2016, the majestic creatures have lived at the Center for Elephant Conservation (CEC) in Polk City, Fla., owned by Feld Entertainment, the circus’s parent company. Though it’s better than circus life, the animals still spend the night in chains and are controlled by fear with bullhooks.
The elephants range in age from a few years to over 70 years old, according to National Geographic, and cannot return to the wild after spending most, or all, of their lives in captivity.
The first group of elephants is slated to arrive at White Oak early next year, around the same time that the habitat, owned by philanthropists Mark and Kimbra Walter, should be completed. There will be an adjustment period for the new residents, many of whom are accustomed to isolation and have never foraged for their own food. Unfortunately, some elephants will spend the rest of their lives at the CEC due to their age and inability to acclimate to the new environment.
In 2017, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus ended after being in business for 146 years, due to an increased awareness of how performing animals are treated in these cruel businesses. This comes as good news as the world’s Asian elephant population stands at half its previous capacity, with just 20,000 to 40,000 remaining in the wild.
Lady Freethinker applauds the efforts of activists and conservationists who fought to give these elephants a much-deserved second chance at a life in the most natural environment possible.
Please leave ALL the animals alone & set them free, Animals do not deserve to be in cages, Zoos,sanctuaries & any other areas where they are mistreated & abused….These animals deserve a chance at life & living where they can roam around free without anyone hurting & killing them! Leave God’s beautiful creatures ALONE!!
Please leave ALL the animals alone & set them free, Animals do not deserve to be in cages, Zoos,sanctuaries & any other areas where they are mistreated & abused….These animals deserve a chance at life & living where they can roam around free without anyone hurting & killing them! Leave God’s beautiful creatures ALONE!!
Please leave ALL the animals alone & set them free, Animals do not deserve to be in cages, Zoos,sanctuaries & any other areas where they are mistreated & abused….These animals deserve a chance at life & living where they can roam around free without anyone hurting & killing them! Leave God’s beautiful creatures ALONE!!
It is time to retire all animals from circuses!! Animals belong in the wild and no longer tortured in circuses!
About time hope you all have a nice retierment ban all circus animals
Animal Lives Matter
love from uk
I’m very proud to say that I was a small part of their freedom. I stood outside protesting at the Ringling Bros circuses for many years along side of many other activists knowing that their suffering wasn’t going to end that day but hoping that it would eventually end. Now, at least 25 years later, all that determination and dedication has finally paid off for these magnificent tortured souls. It’s bittersweet for me, knowing that they lost so many years of happiness being in their natural habitat with their herds just breaks my heart. I’m happy that they will at least be free from abuse and confinement for once in their lives. Thank you for all you do Lady Freethinker!!
Please free them!
Its about time for these poor elephants. They deserve a restful future.
This is fabulous news that 30 elephants will retire to caring, reputable sanctuaries. They deserve the best no different than humans. Bless their hearts. They are such loving, majestic animals!!!!
This is fabulous news that 30 elephants will retire to caring, reputable sanctuaries. They deserve the best no different than humans. Bless their hearts. They are such loving, majestic animals!!!!
Let the elephants be elephants as intended by god!
Let the elephants be elephants as intended by god!
Please be kind and let them free, they as the same as us created by God to live and be FREE!
FANTASTIC — THANK YOU to all who made this happen — it’s high time our sweet, sensitive, majestic ELEPHANTS receive protections.
These majestic creatures belong in the wild not on chains and in circus’ for humans enjoyment.
We need to save all the animals from heartless treatment. We a supost to be better human beings than the monsters that do these terrible acts.
I also confirmed this.
Shared via Barbara Trask Lovett/Save Nosey Now:
Thirty four Asian elephants from the former Ringling Brothers circus (Feld Entertainment) will be moved shortly to White Oak Conservation Center in Florida. Today on Talking Animals, a radio show hosted by Duncan Strauss, the Director of Conservation for White Oak was interviewed. These are the key points of the conversation:
1. There are 34 elephants being moved to White Oak from the Ringling compound in Polk County, FL. There are 13-16 of them that are of breeding age.
2. The elephants will be bred per AZA rules and regulations and will be sold, leased, or otherwise moved when the facility sees fit.
3. The elephants will be kept in protected contact, meaning that no more bullhooks or other instruments of torture will be used for training.
4. The elephants will enjoy some acreage and some freedom of movement at White Oak.
5. White Oak is looking for ways to further profit from the elephants by employing some human interaction, whether it be in person or through webcams etc.
6. Per the AZA, the elephants will be used for anything pertaining to the perpetuation of the species, including medical research for EEHV, TB, and other diseases inherent in captive elephants. It appears that the cancer research being conducted by the University of Utah with these elephants may cease, but that was not clear.
7. This facility is NOT a sanctuary, nor will there be a “conservation” focus for the elephants. None of the elephants will ever be sent back to the wild, nor will there be any focus on habitat loss, human-elephant conflict, or poaching in situ.
It just goes to show if enough of us pull together we can make things happen I’m crying reading this thankyou to each and every one of you that helped xxx
It just goes to show if enough of us pull together we can make things happen I’m crying reading this thankyou to each and every one of you that helped xxx
I have read elsewhere that this isn’t a sanctuary at all , they are going breed and sell calves for profit, they will remain chained up. This is not a good thing at all
The following is from a facebook group that was formed to save Nosey the Elephant from abuse.
” Thirty four Asian elephants from the former Ringling Brothers circus (Feld Entertainment) will be moved shortly to White Oak Conservation Center in Florida. Today on Talking Animals, a radio show hosted by Duncan Strauss, the Director of Conservation for White Oak was interviewed. These are the key points of the conversation:
1. There are 34 elephants being moved to White Oak from the Ringling compound in Polk County, FL. There are 13-16 of them that are of breeding age.
2. The elephants will be bred per AZA rules and regulations and will be sold, leased, or otherwise moved when the facility sees fit.
3. The elephants will be kept in protected contact, meaning that no more bullhooks or other instruments of torture will be used for training.
4. The elephants will enjoy some acreage and some freedom of movement at White Oak.
5. White Oak is looking for ways to further profit from the elephants by employing some human interaction, whether it be in person or through webcams etc.
6. Per the AZA, the elephants will be used for anything pertaining to the perpetuation of the species, including medical research for EEHV, TB, and other diseases inherent in captive elephants. It appears that the cancer research being conducted by the University of Utah with these elephants may cease, but that was not clear.
7. This facility is NOT a sanctuary, nor will there be a “conservation” focus for the elephants. None of the elephants will ever be sent back to the wild, nor will there be any focus on habitat loss, human-elephant conflict, or poaching in situ.”
#SaveNoseyAndFriends #BoycottZoos
This is an article that I love to see, just wish there were more stories reporting progress for all animals!
Thankyou to you who work so tirelessly for the benefit of ALL animals which, will also in the end benefit mankind. It is so uplifting to know that every voice spoken in support of cruelty to animals really does count.
Heartbreaking, for a better world🙏
Why can’t they give ALL the elephants a chance at living at the sanctuary? Just because they are older does not seem to me to be criteria not to give them a chance, they may transition well. If they cannot, the CEC should have to provide better conditions for the remaining UNFORTUNATE elephants like NO MORE CHAINS AND NO MORE CRUEL HANDLING WITH THE HORRID BULL HOOKS AND LOTS OF OPEN SPACE TO ENJOY EACH OTHER. FOR ALL THE CRUELTY RB AND B AND B HAVE CAUSED THESE WONDERFUL ANIMALS THEY SHOULD BE FORCED TO PROVIDE A WONDERFUL HAVITAT FOR THEM FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES AND BE MONITORED TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE DOING RIGHT BY THEIR VICTIMS.