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From ring to refuge: Asian elephants arrive in Northeast Florida
The first wave of elephants arrived safely at White Oak Conservation
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(Photo credit: Stephanie Rutan/White Oak Conservation. Video credit: White Oak Conservation.)
YULEE, Fla. – The first herd of 12 Asian elephants arrived safely in their new forest habitat at White Oak Conservation, a refuge for rare species funded by philanthropists Mark and Kimbra Walter, according to a news release.
They will be joined by up to 20 more former circus elephants as soon as additional areas are completed.
These 12 female elephants, ranging from 8 to 38 years old, previously traveled with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The herd includes two sets of full sisters and numerous half sisters.
The herd will be the largest in the Western Hemisphere.
Most of the elephants previously traveled nationwide with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus until they were retired in 2016
White Oak Conservation is building a 2,500-acre habitat including grasslands, forests and wetlands for the elephants.
YULEE A luxurious dust bath along with a satisfying butt scratch against a stone barn wall, and Myrtle
was ready to mosey into the forest nearby to forage for a morning snack or indulge in an old-fashioned wallow in a watering hole.
Freedom: wild open spaces to explore or a relaxed day spent in a spacious comfortable barn with the prospect of a treat to eat. Such simple pleasures once were denied
First group of retired circus elephants settle in at White Oak Conservation near Jacksonville
The first phase of the elaborate habitat is finished clearing the way for the recent arrival of the first group of elephants. Author: Teresa Stepzinski Florida Times-Union Published: 10:15 AM EDT May 3, 2021 Updated: 10:15 AM EDT May 3, 2021
JACKSONVILLE, Fla A luxurious dust bath along with a satisfying butt scratch against a stone barn wall, and Myrtle
was ready to mosey into the forest nearby to forage for a morning snack or indulge in an old-fashioned wallow in a watering hole.
Freedom: wild open spaces to explore or a relaxed day spent in a spacious comfortable barn with the prospect of a treat to eat. Such simple pleasures once were denied
The majestic giants will now get to call the 2,500-acre refuge in Yulee home. Author: 10 Tampa Bay Updated: 1:27 PM EDT May 5, 2021
YULEE, Fla. A moment more than three years in the making has finally come to fruition with a herd of Asian elephants settling into their new home at White Oak Conservation.
They re the first of 30 elephants who previously traveled across the U.S. with Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circuses until they retired in 2016.
Now, after being held in a previous facility in Polk County, the majestic giants will get to roam the 2,500-acre refuge in Yulee.
“We are thrilled to give these elephants a place to wander and explore,” Mark and Kimbra Walter, who fund the refuge said. “We are working to protect wild animals in their native habitats. But for these elephants that can’t be released, we are pleased to give them a place where they can live comfortably for the rest of their lives.”