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Hot summer days are met with a leisurely pace. Bo, Mundi, and Tarra remain active but have recently established a slower summer pattern.
It is rewarding to watch them commune under a shade tree for a quiet nap together or share the refreshing pond water, covering their entire bodies with a thick coat of clay.
| | Bo making his feelings known | | Watching closely on the EleCam you can see each has a constant feathered companion; many times, several. As the elephants slowly meander through the pasture and wooded areas, the egrets keep pace, snatching insects disturbed by the elephants' grazing activity. Bo is often impatient with them, swinging his trunk to shoo the birds away when he’s bothered by their presence. | | Mundi at ease among the egrets | | Although the birds could be stomped without notice, they are not. Mundi seems to be unconcerned about the jittery birds that scurry around her, and Tarra would prefer they remain permanently. | | Tarra, the ever-welcoming host | | |
Rains finally started falling almost daily in June, and the pastures are thriving. Nature’s bounty keeps the elephants engaged, occupied, well fed and in motion, all benefits of a natural habitat. Many days Tarra remains deep in the forest, traveling trails she and Mundi have created over the years, a fairyland of tasty vines, young branches, refreshing dirt, patches of grass and shade. The cooling effect of trees brings a reprieve from the scorching heat this time of year.
We enjoy watching the elephants demonstrate complete independence, their home providing for all their needs.
Your continued support makes their autonomy possible. They owe it all to you!
| | Bo, Mundi, and Tarra enjoying ERNA's natural habitat | | Bringing Care to the 750-Acre Habitat | | |
Bo, Tarra, and Mundi spend much of their time in the 750-acre habitat, which includes Elephant Lake, two mud wallows, open pasture, wooded areas, and natural shade.
The Care Wall Campaign will help bring routine care into this part of the Refuge, where the elephants already graze, explore, cool off, rest, and choose how to spend their days.
A new Care Wall will give caregivers and veterinarians another safe place to provide foot care, health checks, and other routine procedures while respecting each elephant’s choice to participate.
We are continuing to raise the $40,000 needed for materials, fabrication, the concrete foundation, labor, installation, and safety inspection.
Every gift helps move this project forward.
| | Sissy(R) and Winkie both flourished after arriving at the Sanctuary | | |
Many of you know that Sissy, an elephant very dear to me, was recently humanely euthanized. Although I wasn't there, I felt her presence deeply.
Much can be said about the hardships and pain she endured, but none of those things defined her.
After being captured from the wild, Sissy endured years of trauma, isolation, and experiences that stripped away her identity. Tragically, instead of recognizing what she had been through, her behavior was misunderstood, and she was labeled aggressive, which led to her release to sanctuary. There, she was finally afforded the dignity, compassion, and peace she had long been denied.
During the first few weeks after her rescue, Sissy stayed close to the barn while the other elephants wandered farther into the habitat. It took several days before she felt safe enough to lie down on the soft grass berm overlooking the small pond beside the barn. That simple act marked a significant milestone in her recovery.
As the weeks passed, we came to know Sissy as gentle, deeply self-aware, and remarkably empathetic toward her herd mates. Contrary to her long-held reputation, she was not aggressive and gradually blossomed in her new home.
I had the privilege of participating in her journey toward healing. From her first tentative steps into the habitat to her first crossing of the creek bed, she met each new experience with quiet courage. Her capacity for trust was profound, her resilience extraordinary, and her unwavering desire to heal became the foundation for everything that followed.
Once Sissy grew confident in her surroundings and with her fellow residents, both human and elephant, her true self began to emerge. One quality that quickly became apparent was her desire to understand. She often seemed to struggle to process spoken words, pausing briefly before responding. What some might have mistaken for purposeful resistance was almost always followed by a spark of recognition in her eyes. She understood; it simply took her a little longer.
It is possible that this delay stemmed from the severe trauma she experienced decades earlier when she was swept away in a 100-year flood, sustaining a significant head injury. Whatever its cause, her slower response to verbal communication had often been misinterpreted as defiance, and she had been punished for it.
At the sanctuary, we chose to look beyond the behavior and seek to understand its cause. Had her response been conscious resistance, we would have accepted that and adapted our approach accordingly. Instead, it was a privilege to discover that she was not the defiant elephant others had labeled her to be. She was an individual living with the lasting effects of trauma and a head injury that slowed her processing of verbal cues.
As the years passed, Sissy became the friend Winkie needed to heal from her emotional scars and find her place within the herd. The process was slow and required extraordinary patience.
Sissy's actions revealed a remarkable depth of empathy. She seemed to recognize Winkie's discomfort and willingly helped her navigate social situations, even when it meant limiting her own opportunities for companionship. It was a quiet act of generosity that spoke volumes about her character.
In my experience, every elephant is an inspiration, and Sissy shone with a light all her own. Her resilience, compassion, and capacity to heal and help others heal were extraordinary. She will be deeply missed, forever remembered, and will always hold a cherished place in my heart.
With love and remembrance,
Carol
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Days after the heartbreaking news that Sissy had been euthanized, we learned that Billie, too, was euthanized.
Short, stout, and fiercely guarded, Billie arrived at Sanctuary in 2006 with seven other elephants after they were confiscated by the USDA.
Before her rescue, Billie was confined to a small indoor cage. Years of fear and hardship left her deeply distrustful, and at times her fear manifested as aggression, resulting in even greater confinement.
When Billie first arrived at Sanctuary, her fear and uncertainty were unmistakable. She approached her newfound freedom cautiously but never displayed aggression towards her caregivers. As the days turned into weeks, her defenses slowly faded. She learned to trust again, and with Freida and Liz by her side, she blossomed.
Billie was one of the fortunate ones. She was given the chance to live the last two decades of her life as an elephant should—surrounded by space, companionship, and caring staff. While she will be deeply missed, there is comfort in knowing that her final years were filled with dignity and peace.
Always loved. Never forgotten.
| | A Landmark Victory for Elephants in Nepal | | |
On July 16, 2026, Nepal’s Supreme Court released the full text of a directive ordering the phaseout of traditional elephant riding and declaring such practices incompatible with animal welfare. The ruling recognizes elephants as highly sensitive, intelligent beings and establishes concrete directives for change.
The Court ruled that an elephant’s skeletal structure is not designed to carry human weight and directed the government to phase out traditional riding in favor of ethical, observation-based tourism. The directive also mandates chain-free management, adequate open space and natural diets, and the establishment of retirement and rehabilitation centers for elderly and disabled elephants. Endorsed models include Elephant-Friendly Walk, Bush Walk, and Observation-Only approaches, in which tourists view elephants from a safe distance.
This ruling did not happen overnight. For years, Nepal’s Forum for Protection of Public Interest—Pro Public—worked persistently toward meaningful legal protection for captive elephants, filing the writ petition that brought this case before the Court. EAI founder Carol Buckley, a member of Pro Public’s Advisory Committee, has been part of that effort for decades. Her work in Nepal gave her an understanding of the complex relationships among elephants, mahouts, owners, and government—and of what it truly takes to create lasting change.
In her latest blog, Carol reflects on those decades of work and what this ruling means for elephants and the mahouts whose lives have long been bound to this system.
We are deeply grateful to Pro Public for its dedication, expertise, and persistence. This ruling is a significant step toward ending cruelty and creating lasting change for captive elephants in Nepal.
| | A Little Each Month. A Lifetime of Care. | | |
When you become an EleMember with a monthly gift, you're joining a compassionate community dedicated to creating a better future for captive-held elephants. Your ongoing support helps provide the consistent care elephants need, from nutritious food and enriching habitats to specialized veterinary care and the freedom to simply be elephants.
Monthly giving also provides reliable support that allows our team to spend less time fundraising and more time doing what matters most: improving the lives of elephants, one step at a time.
EleMembers will receive an electronic copy of The Elephant Code of Living, our monthly e-newsletter with updates from Elephant Aid International, and access to a private EleMembers’ Facebook group. Carol will also host a live Q&A for members twice each year.
No monthly gift is too small. Together, we're building a kinder future—one where elephants are treated with the dignity, care, and respect they deserve.
Every act of kindness adds up.
| | Carol’s Corner: Life at the Refuge | | |
Step into life at the Refuge with Carol for an inside look at the elephants’ world and the wildlife that also call the Refuge home. In this month’s video, Carol offers water to an Eastern box turtle that wandered into her yard before safely relocating it outside the fence, away from the curious dogs.
Click the image above to watch!
| | As always, we greatly appreciate your interest, commitment and help. You make our work for elephants possible. Thank you! | | Support EAI Every Time You Shop | |
One World... One Elephant at a Time
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