Happy Birthday Bo!  

We're kicking off the year with an elephant-sized celebration for Bo's birthday! At 37 years old, Bo is considered young, with decades of happiness ahead.

To make this joyous occasion even more special, we celebrate Bo's continued thriving at Elephant Refuge North America. As the first elephant resident at the Refuge, Bo amazed those watching him on the EleCam as he played with Mala the dog, splashed in the rain, and confidently sauntered through his new world: an 850-acre habitat full of woods, pasture, streams, ponds, and lakes.

Bo, a 37-year-old Asian elephant born in a breeding program at Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL, became our first resident after a surprising retirement request. Unlike Mundi, who required government intervention for her rescue, Bo spent most of his life with a female herd in the circus. Bo's owner, George Carden, voluntarily made the choice to retire Bo, who is in the prime of his life. George Carden believed that Bo deserved a good retirement and personally escorted him to his new home at the Refuge in September 2021.

Bo continues to thrive, enjoying the company of his elephant companions and embracing the freedom of the vast habitat. Join us in wishing Bo the happiest of birthdays and celebrating his inspirational journey at Elephant Refuge North America!

Let’s Get Moving! 

It's time to amp up the birthday celebrations for Bo with an exciting fundraiser!

We move hundreds of pounds of fresh sand daily into the elephant barn to replenish the sand in the stalls. We're doing this serious sand shuffling using old-school wheelbarrows, which puts a strain on our time and backs.

We're eyeing a super-cool sand-moving machine (we're naming it the "Sand Scooper" for fun!) that'll scoop, lift, and deposit large amounts of sand right into the stalls. It's a multitasking marvel, handling gravel, hay, and anything else we throw at it!

Here's the scoop: the Sand Scooper costs $42,000, and we aim to raise $5,000 for the down payment. That's where you, our incredible supporters, come in! Can you help us make this essential upgrade and take our sand-shifting game to the next level?

Your donation won't just lighten our load; it'll create a smoother, more efficient sand-moving process, giving us more time to shower Bo, Tarra, and Mundi with the love and care they deserve.

Join the birthday fun and chip in to make Bo's celebration extra amazing!

Sponsor the Birthday Boy

Show Bo how special he is to you by wishing him a happy day! You can sponsor Bo by choosing an annual sponsorship of $75. Or become a constant presence in his life with a recurring monthly donation.

Be sure to bring the life-like image of the celebrated elephant to your home with one of our graphic design T-shirts, including our latest shirt displaying the “three amigos.”

As a special treat, check out the latest series of hand-painted stones created by artist Maritza Curet, a Mayagüez, Puerto Rico resident. The theme for this sixth edition of Stones is “Celebrations: A Perfect Day to Reflect on the Past, Celebrate the Present, and Plan for the Future.”

This stone series celebrates one more year of life for Bo and how wonderful it is to have the freedom, autonomy, respect, and good care that every sentient being deserves.

Show your love and affection for Bo on this special day. Let the elephant know how much you care by making him a special part of your family.

Elephant Update: A Winter Embrace

The Trio basking in the warmth of sunshine and friendship.

January is the month when we experience winter in this southern location in Georgia. That means rain, wind, and cooler temperatures. It has been encouraging to observe how Mundi responds to temperatures that dip into the 40s. Being a resident of Puerto Rico, with its constant mild weather for the past 35 years, made us wonder if she would consider this weather cold.

Mundi has shown no adverse reaction to our temperatures. This time of year, when temps can drop below 40°, the barn door is open, giving all elephants free-choice access to a protected environment, complete with sand-filled stalls and infrared heaters. Not surprisingly, Mundi doesn’t choose to spend much time inside. Bo, on the other hand, takes advantage of the open-door policy and nestles down into the yielding sand when the overnight temps drop below 50°. Tarra, too, will come in around the same time to find her friends and see who has what to eat!

The Eles love the barn open-door policy

Grazing the pastures is the main feeding activity during the nine months of the growing season. Foraging in the wooded areas becomes the main activity during the winter. But even in winter, there are areas in the forest where patches of tall grass continue to thrive. The elephants browse and consume branches of young trees and many varieties of bushes and vines. They also love to discover the surprise patches of grass in the sunny areas of the forests.

Tarra and Mundi indulge in a forest feast

Winter's change in temperature brings with it dormant grasses. Mundi has not missed a beat in converting her eating habit from grazing to browsing, a natural transition for African elephants. Tarra, too, seems to have figured out decades ago that when grasses are dormant, there is lots of tasty edible vegetation to supply her hunger drive. Bo hasn’t quite gotten the hang of the seasonal change. He still expects grasses to grow underfoot, but lately, he has developed a taste for blackberry bushes, grape vines, and oak branches.

Mundi gracefully browses, while Bo sticks to his classic grazing routine

To ensure all elephants have access to the volume of food required to flourish, we supplement their diets with Timothy hay, specially formulated grain, and fruits and vegetables. Since they are active day and night, we can provide hay ad libitum and not worry about unwanted weight gain.

Tarra relishes her well-rounded diet

It has been a joy witnessing how loving and compatible Bo, Mundi, and Tarra are. For her first few months at the Refuge, Mundi stayed close to Bo and interacted kindly when Tarra came around. Discovering her independent side and being driven to forage in places Bo chooses not to go, Mundi has begun to spend much more time with Tarra. All of their relationships are kind and compassionate. They exhibit complete comfort in each other’s company and can often be observed on the EleCam at night, huddled together and napping under the moonlight.

A midnight mingle

In celebration of the Birthday Bo enjoy this classic gem!

Click the image above to watch.