Minnie was born in Asia in 1966. She was taken from the wild and exported to North America the same year. She spent the next 17 years as the sole elephant at a private wild animal farm in Alberta, Canada, where she was called Talli. In 1980, she was purchased by Circus Vargas, and her name was changed to Minnie. After traveling for many years with the circus, Minnie was sold to the Hawthorn Corporation and leased for use in various circuses and performing exhibitions.

As a result of USDA prosecutions against the Hawthorn Corporation for violations of the Animal Welfare Act for inadequate care and mistreatment of its elephants, Minnie and ten other Hawthorn elephants were transferred to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

On January 31, 2006, Minnie became the 15th resident of The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, and the first of eight elephants to arrive that year. After two of Minnie’s closest companions passed, Care Staff hoped that Minnie would be able to socialize with Debbie and Ronnie; however, this proved complicated. Minnie and Debbie are two very large, willful elephants, and each seemed determined to establish herself as the dominant elephant. For the well-being of all three, Staff gave Minnie access to a separate area of the habitat where she could still see, touch, and smell Debbie and Ronnie while a fence separated them.

During her time at The Sanctuary, Minnie formed a close bond with Ronnie, and the two were often seen exploring the habitat together. 

In the fall of 2025, routine bloodwork indicated possible kidney disease with concern for progression toward kidney failure. In the days that followed, Care Staff began observing signs of weakness and a decline in normal eating and drinking behaviors. Veterinary and Elephant Care teams monitored Minnie closely and provided supportive comfort and care.

During her final days, Staff frequently observed Minnie and long-time companion Ronnie side by side, resting together, leaning into one another, and dusting in a shared dirt pile. Staff noted that Billie ventured down from the hillside, and observers described a moment in which Billie and Minnie raised their trunks in what appeared to be a gentle greeting.

On the morning of Sunday, November 23, Minnie exhibited signs of increased weakness and little to no appetite, consistent with progressive kidney failure. After assessing her comfort and quality of life, humane euthanasia was recommended as the most compassionate decision. Minnie passed peacefully in an area known as Pond Yard within Sycamore Habitat under the care of the Veterinary Team and surrounded by her daily Care Staff.

Minnie was often observed playing with her culvert (a 200 lb drainage pipe) and reveling in her habitat’s many ponds and creeks. Possibly because of her time spent in Canada, Minnie appeared unbothered by winter’s cooler weather. She seemed to encourage her habitat-mates to follow her out of the barn on cooler days. Caregivers even noted Minnie breaking ice on the pond to go for a quick dip.

At the time of her passing, Minnie was The Sanctuary's heaviest elephant; her weight fluctuated around 11,000 pounds. She was recognized by the broad base of her trunk and her bright white toenails. Minnie was also the only elephant at The Sanctuary with all white hair on her tail.

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