Heartwarming news from the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee as one of their rescued elephants just celebrated her 70th birthday! This sweet gal is named Shirley and the folks at the sanctuary made sure that she felt extra important on her special day. Her caretakers made a big ’70’ out of bamboo and fresh flowers and produce, and they also baked her a very special vegan carrot cake layered with hay.
But Shirley’s life wasn’t always so happy. She was born in 1948 in Sumatra and captured from the wild forests of Asia when she was just a baby. She was immediately sold to a notorious U.S. circus and never saw her family again. In 1963, she was traveling with the other circus animals on a ship to Nova Scotia when the entire vessel caught on fire and several of the animals perished. Shirley was rescued but suffered severe burns and is missing a large chunk of her ear because of that fire. She also has several burn scars on her back, sides, and feet.
When Shirley was only 27, she suffered a horrible injury and a broken back leg while traveling with another circus. The injury never healed properly as several bones in her leg fused together, and as a result her back right leg is permanently disfigured. Since the circus could no longer use an elephant with only three working legs, they sold her to the Louisiana Gardens and Zoo.
The zoo tried their best to take care of Shirley, but since she was the only elephant at the zoo she was often very lonely. The Louisiana Gardens and Zoo eventually realized that they did not have the proper space to house an elephant and they knew the right thing to do was to send her to sanctuary. So in 1999, Shirley arrived at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, where she reunited with one of her former elephant friends from the circus, Jenny.
Sweet Shirley now lives the care-free life as she explores the sanctuary grounds and spends time with all of her elephant friends. Being an older elephant, she often needs specialized medical care, and she is the inspiration for the new Elephant Health Care Center which, will be built at the sanctuary.

Image: Elephant Sanctuary Tennessee
The Elephant Health Care Center will be outfitted with innovative modern veterinary equipment, and enable the sanctuary’s veterinary team to conduct in-house lab testing and analysis. It will also allow continuous care and close observation of elephants with special medical needs. This modern facility will be specifically designed to meet the needs of aging captive elephants.
Shirley is the oldest elephant at the sanctuary and the third oldest Asian elephant in North America. Happy birthday precious Shirley — you’re a very special elephant, and we love you!

So glad to see the elephant are happy today. Shirley deserve to be happy and healty. Hope she not have pain in the foot?!
Yes, a very Happy Birthday!
so happy to see Shirley happy and celebrating her 70th birthday in a sanctuary!!!
COMMENT joyeux anniversaire Sweet Shirley je souhaite encore de longues et heureuses années a vivre au sanctuaire entourée de personnes formidable a qui j adresse tout mon respect pour ce formidable travail
pleins de gros câlins pour toi
Such a sweet giant! Let her live many happy days more!
Happy 70th Birthday Shirley, the elephant. Very happy she has Jenny, the elephant for a friend. Love you elephants !
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHIRLEY!!!!! SO THRILLED to know you are in such WONDERFUL hands and at the Sanctuary!!!! Enjoy the life you deserve-you have gone through too much suffering by man-but that is certainly ALL in the past!!! I can only hope & pray that ALL captive elephants in circuses and inadequate zoos join you!!
Poor girl. Happy Birthday Shirley!
She is indeed special, and we do love her, SO happy she is enjoying the life she has always deserved!!
I think that’s the same sanctuary where Nosey is! I wonder if they are friends! It’s amazing that Shirley was reunited with another elephant friend from the circus named Jenny at the sanctuary. The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee has rescued many elephants. Happy Birthday Sweetheart, You Are Loved!!
You can tell from the pictures that her back leg is horribly disfigured, it looks like it is bent backwards at the knee, according to the article it’s from an old circus injury. She must have suffered so much pain, all of the circus animals do. Thank goodness she’s at sanctuary now. Happy Birthday Sweetie!!
Congratulations and many happy returns on your birthday, Shirley. Thank you to the sanctuary and for providing medical care.
Happy birthday sweetheart!!!!! Many more happy birthdays for you!!!!!!You are gorgeous!
Happy Birthday X you BEAUTIFUL shirley
Happy 70th Shirley so glad your doing well and enjoying life, thanks to the people at the sanctuary.that are taking great care of her.
Happy Birthday Shirley!!! Such an incredible life story — unbearable trauma being stolen from her family, enduring horrific injuries – and she is thankfully in a wonderful place after a tragic past. Bless her heart, and the same to all those who love and care for her: you are all angels.
I have an issue with people that are not good with numbers if Shirley was born in 1958 she is 60 not 70.
Anyway Happy Birthday Sweetheart.
Thanks so much for pointing that out! There was a typo, but we have now corrected it 🙂
Story says 1948.
When it was posted yesterday it said Shirley was born in 1958, Dobi has just corrected it to 1948.
It does not matter what age she is, she has gone through more in her life than she or any other animal deserve, all because she was poached for money way back when?
I just wish I could cuddle her!!!
Love you Shirley!
Happy Bday Shirley!! I’m so happy ur living the good life now!! U so deserve it!! And I wish U many more happy bdays!! Love U Shirley!! Ur awesome!
If Shirley the elephant was born in 1958 she is 60 years old not 70. Very strange!
Hi, there was a typo but we fixed it as soon as we noticed. Thank you for reading so closely.
Thank you Dobi for the correcting this, as Shirleys story was filled with such horror I googled her and noticed it was just a mistake. I have donated to animal charities a few times that don’t exist or found out the animal died years earlier, so if the story doesn’t add up I don’t give. I am so pleased Shirley has found kindness and an old friend in her autumn years. Thank yoo from the bottom of my heart. x
Happy Birthday Shirley!
So glad she’s safe now.
Happy you were born day Shirley! So glad you’re in the good care of TES. You deserve it.
Awwwwe….I love happy endings. They are so rare these days. I hope Shirley will have an abundance of friends and happiness for ever.