BAINBRIDGE – By the end of next year, elephants will be roaming an 850-acre land in South Georgia. The new elephant sanctuary, located about 30 miles northwest of Tallahassee in Decatur County, is taking over what was once a cattle ranch.
Run by Elephant Aid International, the group provides refuge for elephants once in captivity. After searching the southern states for nearly two years, founder of Elephant Aid International, Carol Buckley, says she believes she’s finally found safety for these wild animals.
Carol Buckley with one of her elephants
“Zoos are not in a situation, nor is a circus in a situation where they can provide for an elephant according to the elephant’s biological and psychological needs, it’s just not possible. It’s not the mission of a zoo or circus to do it that way, sanctuaries are,” Buckley says.
Elephants need room to roam 30-50 miles a day. Buckley says the environment keeps the elephants interested and in tune with their surroundings.
“Even though they’re in captivity, they’re wild. Even if they’re born in captivity, they’re still wild. They’re never domesticated, even in their homeland in Asia, they are not domesticated,” Buckley says.
But the search to find this land wasn’t easy. Partnering with a broker, the space needed to have the right amount of privacy while also helping the elephants recover from captivity.
“It was right on the Georgia Florida line, perfect shape, perfect mixture of rolling pastures, of ponds, of small lakes, of hardwoods, creek bottoms, just the perfect combination,” land broker, Walter Hatchett says.
A perfect combination to give the elephants a better life and a new place to call home.
Buckley says the sanctuary will not be open to the public, but there will be cameras set up with a live feed available online. She hopes to have 7 to 10 elephants with the goal to be finished in about six months.
