In planning for the arrival of Tonka, who was slated to be our first permanent bull resident, The Elephant Sanctuary budgeted monies from our reserves to break ground on a bull barn to house this nearly 14,000-pound African elephant. And then came Artie!
African bull elephant Artie arrived to The Sanctuary in late January 2023 and has been living at the Elephant Health Care Center complex, which was constructed to accommodate the temporary residence of any elephant in need. He will reside there until the two bull barns are complete, and in the meantime, he has been observed exploring his acres and interacting with some of his new female African elephant neighbors with sight, sound and even gentle touches across fence lines.
We are delighted to ramp up big plans for accommodating multiple bull elephants, now, with Tonka coming from Zoo Knoxville in 2024 to join Artie at The Sanctuary.
As the project has grown, so have the costs. Construction is underway, and we need your help to finish it! Building For Bulls includes...
- Two new 3,000 square foot barns, each with two stalls: one rubber floor and one sand stall
- A large, shared open-air covered space with fencing for health care and training
- Adjacent 3.5-acre fenced habitat(s) for each elephant
- 200 acres designated for future growth and to provide social opportunities with other African elephants in residence
Check out our plans for the bull barn and habitats as we make forever homes for these special animals in Hohenwald, Tennessee, and help us reach our goal of raising $1.5 million with a gift to our Building for Bulls campaign. Matching gift opportunities will be available throughout the campaign, so join our email list and keep an eye out on social media to double your donation.
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