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Have extra tree trimmings? The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is reaching out to our Middle Tennessee community for donated trees, branches, and trimmings as browse and enrichment for our elephant residents!

Elephants are herbivores and will spend approximately 18 hours a day foraging grasses, trees, and shrubs—known as “browse.” At The Sanctuary, browse is used as a nutritional supplement and as a form of enrichment for the elephants. During the cooler months, when the elephants tend to stay closer to their heated barns, it’s essential to provide a variety of browse and enrichment. This not only offers necessary nutrients but also promotes mental stimulation through exploration. Browse typically includes leaves, branches, and other vegetation that elephants naturally consume, while enrichment consists of items that engage their minds and encourage physical activity. A diverse selection of browse greatly enhances the elephants' overall well-being by fostering natural behaviors such as stripping leaves and chewing on branches.

“The purpose of this program is to not only provide the elephants with more variety to their diet but to also allow the public to donate and connect to the elephants in a small way,” said Kristy E., Senior Manager of Elephant Care, who helped to spearhead the program.

In addition to our popular seasonal donations of pumpkins and Christmas trees, we are seeking various types of browse from November 2024 through March 2025, but welcome donations year-round. Below is a list of common trees native to Tennessee that would make great donations for the elephants!

  • Alnus (Alder)
  • Ash
  • Bamboo (all species)
  • Banana palm
  • Beech
  • Birch
  • Black gum
  • Boxelder
  • Bradford Pear
  • Blackberry
  • Cedar
  • Christmas Trees (Balsam fir, Concolor fir, Douglas fir, Frasier fir, Scotch pine)
  • Cottonwood
  • Crab Apple
  • Crape Myrtle
  • Devils Walking Stick
  • Dogwood
  • Elm
  • Grapevine
  • Hackberry
  • Hickory
  • Honeysuckle
  • Hornbeam
  • Maple (Japanese, Silver, Sugar)
  • Mimosa
  • Mulberry
  • Oak (all species - no acorns)
  • Pecan
  • Persimmon
  • Pine (all species)
  • Poplar
  • Redbud
  • Sourwood
  • Spruce
  • Sumac
  • Sugar cane
  • Sweet gum
  • Sycamore
  • Wild Privet (no berries)
  • Willow

Donation Guidelines

  • Timing: Now accepting browse through March 2025, but donations are appreciated any time of year!
  • Condition: Please ensure items are cut within the last 2-3 weeks, and as fresh as possible. We ask that all items remain free from pesticides.
  • Size: Only limbs and small logs are accepted—no stumps or thick tree trunks.

Browse donations can be brought to The Sanctuary’s Elephant Discovery Center, located at 27 East Main Street, Hohenwald, where a designated drop-off location will be available behind the building next to the 're-tired' elephant statue. Donors are invited to visit the exhibits inside the Elephant Discovery Center, which is open every Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

For large or heavy delivery arrangements, please contact Kristy, Browse Coordinator, at Kristy@elephants.com.

We are incredibly grateful to all those who have donated and to our community for their support! For more information, please contact us at elephants@elephants.com or call 931-796-6500.

The elephant habitats are closed to the public. Visitors will not see or interact with the elephants.



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