EleUpdate: Springtime Joys

March coincides with Mundi’s 10^th month at Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA). Imagine her surprise as the pastures explode with fresh green grass, rain fills the ponds and mud wallows, and temperatures provide the most comfortable experience day and night. Bo and Tarra most likely told Mundi what to expect, but experiencing it for herself, especially the nonstop supply of newborn grass must be thrilling.

With a goal of ensuring that our elephants have a full and stimulating life, living large in the expansive outdoors is key. Day and night, they graze the pastures, forage through the woods, and cover their skin with a fresh coat of rich Georgia clay and dirt.

One thing Bo and Mundi cannot resist, even in this warm weather, is sleeping in the soft sand stalls of the barn. Even though it is not cold outside, these pampered pachyderms continue to visit the barn in the wee hours of the morning to sleep on the plush four-foot-deep sand floors. Since elephants only sleep a couple of hours each night, their stay in the barn is short. The nanny cam allows us to see when they enter and leave the barn. That’s how we know they spend only a few hours sleeping, usually from 6-8 am, standard daylight time, since Bo especially does not adhere to daylight savings time. With the recent time change, staff has been forced to wait outside the front gate until Bo wakes so as not to disturb his slumber.

Pampered pachyderms Bo and Mundi

Where is Tarra, you may ask? Well, the princess is a true nature girl, healthy, independent, and innovative. Tarra sleeps outside, what hours we can’t be sure but we definitely find the evidence of her sleeping beds. Located under the protection of a great oak tree where the ground is soft and pliable and the leaves are thick, Tarra uses her massive feet and her hand-like trunk to carve out a soft, comfortable bed. The barn door is always open for her, but Tarra only spends time inside the barn when, in her opinion, “it is cold.” That means temperatures must drop below 40 degrees for several hours straight, which seldom happens at ERNA. When Tarra does come into the barn, she is at ease sharing it with Bo and Mundi. Choice is the key. Autonomy is an essential aspect of a healthy existence for elephants.

Tarra the nature gal

As the sun sets at the end of each day, it seems that Bo, Mundi, and Tarra have developed an even deeper affection for each other. Lately, it appears that Bo is teaching Mundi manners to walk behind him when he is focused on food instead of Mundi doing her silly dance to block his way. Mundi is a quick and receptive student, always grasping the lesson without resistance. Her comfortable behavior around both Tarra and Bo suggests she feels loved and included.

A family affair: Mundi, Tarra and Bo

The thrill of this month was watching Mundi completely submerged in the pond, splashing joyfully alongside Bo. They had a blast!

Mundi and Bo pond pals having a ball

Let's Keep the Celebration Rolling!

What started as a birthday bash for Bo in January continued as a fabulous fiesta for Tarra in February, and now, the party train is chugging along into March to honor Mundi's incredible 10-month journey with us. Get ready to add some more sparkle to the festivities as we embark on this exciting leg of our fundraising adventure!

Contributions toward Mundi's 10-month anniversary wish will help alleviate the workload of our caregivers and volunteers, who diligently move sand daily to maintain the elephant barn stalls. With your support, we can fulfill Mundi's wish of bringing the Sand Scooper to the Refuge

This specialized equipment efficiently scoops, lifts, and deposits sand directly into the stalls, streamlining the process and saving valuable time and effort. It's versatile enough to handle various materials at the Refuge, from gravel to hay to brush.

The Sand Scooper comes with a $42,000 price tag, and thanks to your generosity, we've already raised the $5,000 down payment. Now, let’s work together to raise the remaining balance and bring this essential equipment home for Mundi, Tarra, and Bo.

Your contribution not only supports our dedicated staff but also allows them to focus more on meeting the individual needs of each elephant.

Join us in making Mundi’s 10-month anniversary truly memorable by fulfilling the Trio’s Sand Scooper wish!

60 Minutes Visits Mundi

Recently, the CBS news crew from 60 Minutes was given access to Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA) to document Mundi’s rehabilitation following her rescue after living alone for over three decades. Mundi was the largest and one of the first of 700+ animals to be rescued from a dilapidated zoo in Puerto Rico. The 60 Minutes segment focuses on The Wild Animal Sanctuary founder Pat Craig and his wife Monica and how their team accomplished this legendary success story.

Jon Wertheim and the 60 Minutes crew and Pat Craig saw first-hand how well Mundi had adapted to a life of freedom and family with her new elephant friends Bo and Tarra. Craig told 60 Minutes, "She just looks so much healthier, and just her demeanor is so much calmer and nicer. Every day when I would go see her in the zoo, I just — God, I would just hurt," he said. "And then now to see this is just amazing, just truly amazing."

Regarding Mundi’s progress and relationship with the other elephants at the Refuge, EAI’s founder Carol Buckley shared with 60 Minutes, “The other elephants know what they [the new elephant] need to learn, and they are instructing them. It’s fantastic. It is exactly the same as what happens in the wild.”

We owe Pat and Monica Craig and their devoted team so much gratitude for taking on the rehoming of hundreds of suffering animals. A rescue of this magnitude took careful planning, collaboration, courage, compassion, and an enormous amount of funding, the likes of which we can only imagine.

On behalf of Mundi and all who love her, we applaud their willingness to take on this massive zoo evacuation and find each of these deserving creatures the best facilities for their recovery and for being the gold standard in rehabilitation in their own facilities. Their unending efforts to provide excellent care and safe forever homes to so many animals over the decades is inspirational.

Q&A with Carol and Tarra

In honor of Tarra’s 50^th birthday celebration last month, we took questions from supporters and then compiled a video of Carol’s answers with insights into Tarra’s personality.

The video covers a variety of topics, including “Has Tarra ever had a baby?” “What does Tarra do that makes you laugh or cry with joy?” and “Is there something special you say to only Tarra?” You’ll hear about her interest in tools (and, of course, dogs) and how a 6-year-old Tarra, revealing her deep intelligence, figured out for herself how to escape a quagmire on the shore of a reservoir.

No video about Tarra would be complete without her contribution of trunk touches as Carol talks. The affection between these lifelong companions is heartwarming.

Many thanks to those who submitted questions, and congratulations to the winners, Courtney, Ang, Calibed, Diane, and Stephanie, for the most unique questions. They’ll receive a signed copy of Carol’s book Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends.

A Special Thank You - Subscriber Premiere Video

Mud Spa and Friendly Spar: Bo and Mundi's Playtime Delight! Click the image above to watch.