The Birthday Gal  

Captured in 1974 from the wild in Asia, Tarra was only three months old when she was brought to the United States, sold, and soon put on public display in a tire store in southern California.

As luck would have it, baby Tarra met a local college student (Carol, EAI’s CEO and Founder) who was studying exotic animal training and management. Once Carol saw this motherless elephant, she felt the connection.

After volunteering to care for Tarra, bottle-feeding her and taking her home at night so the elephant could have much-needed company and feel grass under her feet, play in dirt, and scratch on trees, Carol later became Tarra’s legal guardian, leaving the tire store behind.

There were not many options in the 1970s for elephants in captivity. Zoos and circuses were the only choices, and Carol knew she needed to stay with Tarra to look after her. Using the same positive reinforcement techniques Carol had used to train dogs, she wondered if those methods would work with Tarra. Tarra, being highly motivated by treats, was eager to learn.

Tarra and Carol became a team, appearing on TV, in movies, at theme parks, and in circuses. Then, as Tarra matured, appearances became more educational in nature at zoos and special events until Tarra showed signs of boredom appearing in public.

Tarra inspired Carol to create another path for elephants in captivity where an elephant could be out of the spotlight and live as close as possible to life in the wild. In 1995, thanks to Tarra’s influence, Carol founded the nation’s first natural habitat elephant refuge. Over the next 15 years, Tarra was the official greeter for the two dozen elephants who joined her, all rescues from zoos and circuses.

In 2016, after years of aiding captive-held elephants, Carol created her second nature-based home for elephants, Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA), in Georgia. The design of this refuge benefited greatly from Carol’s deepened knowledge gained from assisting elephants not only in North America but in Asia as well. Tarra and her counterparts worldwide are credited with teaching Carol the key to an elephant’s well-being. The result brings a new generation of elephant refuges whose physical design and philosophical approach is to provide elephant care designed to meet all of an elephant’s needs.

Through the actions of a misguided Board, Tarra and Carol were forcibly separated for a decade. But on a joyous day in November of 2021, Tarra found her way back to Carol, reunited with her lifelong friend and guardian at Elephant Refuge North America, to begin the third chapter of her life.

The warm weather in southernmost Georgia means Tarra and her elephant family can enjoy and explore the outdoors year-round—a must for Tarra, who prefers to be immersed in the big outdoors. And she is in the care of her lifelong companion Carol. In addition, once again, Tarra is in the company of her favorite species—dogs. Then there is calm and gentle Bo, with whom she has become quite fond. His patient nature is exactly what Tarra needs to bond closely with another elephant. Then, in 2023, came Mundi, a strong and curious elephant in desperate need of understanding and companionship. Tarra, alongside Bo, instantly became Mundi’s elephant teacher and friend.

Tarra has spent a lifetime, fifty years, helping people understand her species. Through her actions, her ancestorial wisdom has been shared, enabling people to realize how precious this adored species is and why all efforts to protect them and preserve their wildlands are paramount. Tarra, like many of her kind, is creating an enduring legacy that will benefit her species for many decades to come. 

To learn more about Tarra, visit https://elephantaidinternational.org/elephant-tarra-new/

A Tribute to Tarra From Carol

It is hard to believe Tarra is turning 50! Every Feb 14^th, I am flooded with incredible memories, in full color, bursting with emotion. My gratitude for the life we’ve shared is, at times, overwhelming.

When we first met, Tarra was a yearling, and I a naïve 20-year-old. We were a well-suited pair, both full of life, fearless, driven by curiosity, and on a mission to have fun. My most vivid and cherished memories are of playing with Tarra: racing on a deserted beach, splashing in a river, exploring a forest, or engaging the dogs with a game of tug-a-war. Our adventures were such an important part of our deepening understanding of each other. The more we played together, the closer we became. It was in the very early years that Tarra developed a fondness for dogs and people, a fondness that has served her well and lasted a lifetime.

Early on, I worried about Tarra continually. I was overprotective and hypervigilant, sometimes waking her from a deep sleep, afraid she’d stopped breathing. Tarra would open her big, beautiful, sleepy eyes, giving me a look that clearly said, relax, I’m fine. Then she would wiggle, readjusting her adorably plump body in her comfy straw bed. Within minutes, her snoring was the only thing that could be heard. I thought my heart would burst with joy.

Luckily, we lived in a remote location in the Los Padres National Forest with unrestricted access to a secluded area of the Ventura River, a private reservoir, and the acres of forest that bordered our property. But when away from home, our access to nature’s playground was restricted. As Tarra grew larger, no longer were we permitted to have a foot race down the beach or hike in some inviting woods. No Trespassing signs at roadside forests and ponds were strictly enforced. It seemed the world had decided that only humans had a right to enjoy nature.

By the time Tarra turned 10, we’d both grown disillusioned by the limited captive lifestyle options available to her. That is when I started dreaming of the ultimate captive environment for elephants, for those who would never be fortunate enough to be in the wild, where Tarra’s needs and desires would be met. My seemingly outlandish idea was mocked by some, few could conceive of my vision, but I wasn’t deterred. I knew she and I could create a new way for elephants, a place for Tarra to finally live in nature full-time, with the autonomy she deserved.

For Tarra’s youthful 21^st birthday, we did the seemingly impossible. We bought a 113-acre farm in Tennessee. She retired, and we opened our home to needy elephants, becoming the nation’s first natural habitat refuge for elephants. This was literally my dream come true for Tarra. 

Full-grown and self-confident, Tarra transitioned to her world of autonomy—no human control—and companion elephants, with grace and enthusiasm. Making close relationships with the other elephants was her greatest challenge, but like the magic that had brought us this far, the elephants who joined our family cherished Tarra as I always have.

When Tarra and I were forcibly separated following her 35^th birthday, I felt like I was screaming in a soundproof room, trying to get people to understand how they were harming her. They could not hear or were not equipped with the experience or foresight to understand Tarra’s suffering. The next decade was the most difficult in our lives. Tarra lost her BBF dog, Bella; she lost me and the other humans who were important to her; all but one of the elephants with whom she had shared many years together were euthanized or died. In my absence, Tarra became aggressive towards keepers, was put on drugs to manage anxiety, and fell deep into depression. I fought and fought and fought until, after a decade consumed by lawyers and court proceedings, Tarra was finally free to return to me.

As of today, February 14^th, Tarra’s 50^th birthday, we have been back together for two years, two months, and 27 days, each one feeling like a blessing. Each moment is an opportunity for Tarra to regain her confidence and resilience and once again experience full autonomy amongst friends who understand her. She spends her days with Bo, Mundi, Mala, Samie, and her human caregivers, demonstrating by her actions and zest for life that she once again feels comfortable and complete.

Tarra’s life has proven invaluable to the advancement of captive elephant care. What she has taught the world about her species has helped to create chain free corrals in Asia, shifted the mindset of human control that has dominated elephant management for decades, and instilled an appreciation for the deep relationships elephants form with many different species, in addition to their own. Elephants are more evolved than they are given credit for. Their wisdom runs deep, compassion and empathy exude from them, and their ability to forgive injustices imposed upon them by humans exceeds anything I have ever witnessed. Elephants are one of our greatest teachers, and Tarra has led in that direction her entire life.

Please join me as we wish Tarra a joy filled 50^th birthday, surrounded by family and friends of all the various species she relates to so deeply.

Tarra’s Birthday Wish

Tarra’s birthday falls on Valentine’s Day but please, no chocolates for her. Instead, Tarra’s special wish is to complete the fundraising campaign we started for Bo's birthday in January for the Sand Scooper. (Plus, she really wants this big orange machine that makes lots of “playful” noise like her.)

Chipping in for Tarra’s Valentine’s Day gift will relieve her caregivers and volunteers from the strain caused by moving hundreds of pounds of fresh sand daily into the elephant barn to replenish the sand-floor stalls. Tarra would love to see them park their wheelbarrows and replace them with the Sand Scooper!

The sand-moving machine will scoop, lift, and deposit large amounts of sand directly into the stalls. This essential equipment can also handle any other material at the Refuge that needs moving—gravel, hay, brush; you name it.

The cost of the Sand Scooper is $42,000, so we need to raise $5,000 for the down payment. You got us started last month with your birthday donations for Bo. Now Tarra wants to bring this sand-shifting machine home for her birthday—will you help?

Your gift will assist our dedicated staff so they can devote more time and energy to Tarra, Bo, and Mundi in all the individual ways each elephant desires.

Join in and make Tarra’s birthday wish come true!

Will You Be Tarra’s Valentine?

Want more ways to shower Tarra with love? You can sponsor her in one of two ways: with an annual gift of $75 or “the gift that keeps on giving”—a recurring monthly donation of your choice. You’ll receive a sponsorship certificate that includes a photo of Tarra and five fun facts about her delivered via eco-friendly email.

When you become Tarra’s sponsor, you help us provide the highest level of care for her, from nutritious food and supplements to enhanced healthcare and specialized equipment both for the elephants and their Refuge home.

For those who want to know more about Tarra’s love for dogs, you can also purchase Tarra’s favorite book, Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends, written by our own Carol Buckley. Before Mala and Samie, there was another devoted dog companion, Bella. Experience this heartwarming story, which highlights this inspirational interspecies relationship and Tarra’s deep affection for dogs. As a bonus, the book includes a special “Dear Reader” letter with an update on Tarra’s amazing life at the Refuge with Bo, Mundi, Mala, and Samie.



For more Tarra-themed items, visit our online gift shop where you’ll find special T-shirts featuring Tarra or the “three amigos” (Tarra, Bo, and Mundi), and the gorgeous hand-painted stones by artist Maritza Curet, a Mayagüez, Puerto Rico resident. In this special edition, we celebrate the life of elephant Tarra on her 50^th birthday—50 years of adventures, challenges, connections, and love. A love that feels as vast as the open sky and as deep as the earth itself. Love that teaches us to be more human, to enjoy the simple things and the beautiful colors life gives us. 

Tarra: 50 Years in Photos

Journey through Tarra's remarkable life in '50 Years in Photos'

a heartwarming tribute to an extraordinary elephant!

Click the image above to watch.