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CONTACT: Carol Buckley 229-465-3115
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GEORGIA REFUGE WELCOMES FIRST ELEPHANT

34-year-old male elephant is retiring from the circus

ATTAPULGUS, GA, September 9, 2021: Bo, a 34-year-old bull (male) elephant, will become the first resident of Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA), an 850-acre natural habitat refuge in Attapulgus, GA. He is currently scheduled to arrive on September 23.

The Refuge, the newest elephant sanctuary in the U.S., is a project of Elephant Aid International, which was founded by Carol Buckley. Buckley, an internationally recognized authority in the rescue, rehabilitation and welfare of captive-held elephants, develops innovative models for elephant care, training and handling, which are widely copied and adapted for different captive situations in both the U.S. and Asia.

Bo is coming to the Georgia Refuge from the George Carden Circus. “Bo is family to me and deserves to retire to a beautiful place designed to give him a good life,” said George Carden. “I want him to have the best, which is why I want him to live at the Refuge.”

Bo was captive born in Florida and has been part of George Carden’s family for nearly 30 years. Bo has a very calm temperament because he was castrated when he was five years old, and is one of a very few castrated bulls alive today. Because elephants’ testicles are internal, not external like other mammals, surgical castration is major surgery. Fortunately, the young Bo experienced no complications and healed quickly. As a result, he doesn’t experience musth, the annual season of elevated levels of testosterone during which bulls become quite dangerous with other male elephants and humans.

“We are honored Elephant Refuge North America was selected for Bo’s retirement,” said Buckley, who serves as Elephant Aid International president and CEO. “The fact that George Carden is retiring Bo, a performing elephant in the prime of his life, to a refuge sets a new precedent for how performing elephants can live out their lives.”

Buckley first met Bo when he was one-year-old and then again when he was 10.

“Seeing him now, 20 years later, it’s obvious he has been very well cared for,” said Buckley. “He’s an impressive bull elephant, incredibly healthy in body and mind. He will continue to thrive and flourish under our care.”

The Refuge gives elephants as natural a life as possible in captivity. Bo will have the autonomy to choose where and when he eats, sleeps, bathes and grazes. When other elephants arrive, he will have the freedom to choose his companions.

Because of their strength, bull elephants require much stronger fencing than female elephants. The Refuge has fencing designed for female elephants and is now installing special bull-proof fencing -- a seven-foot-tall, six-inch-thick wall of steel pipe driven four feet into the ground, connected with a welded steel top rail.

Bo will occupy a seven-acre habitat during his initial months at the Refuge. He’ll enjoy pastures, woods, a pond and a new custom-designed, fully automated elephant house. He will eventually occupy a 100-acre habitat. The Refuge is launching a fundraising campaign to reinforce existing fencing around those 100 acres.

To follow Bo’s progress, donate to the Bo’s Home campaign and learn more about Elephant Refuge North America, visit ElephantAidInternational.org/Bos-Home/.

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About Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA): The Refuge is a project of Elephant Aid International. Its 850 acres of lush pastures, forests, creeks and spring-fed lakes provide a natural environment in which captive-held elephants can retire and thrive.

About Elephant Aid International (EAI): Carol Buckley founded EAI, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, in 2010 to improve the lives of captive elephants worldwide. EAI enlists scientists, veterinarians, mahouts [elephant handlers] and owners in improving elephant welfare. EAI also provides education and hands-on assistance to improve elephants’ care, training and handling. Learn more at http://elephantaidinternational.org.

FACT SHEETS

FACT SHEET: BO & GENERAL INFORMATION ON ASIAN ELEPHANTS

About Bo

Species: Asian elephant

Gender: Male

Age: 34

Possible life expectancy: 70 years

Height: 10’6”

Weight: Over 10,000 pounds

Circumference of his front foot: 5’4”

Health status: Excellent

Breeding status: Surgically castrated. Bo became unmanageable by the age of five. George Carden, purchased him and recognized that the future for an aggressive elephant is bleak, so he had Bo castrated. Because male elephants’ testicles are internal, castration is considered major surgery. There are only a few castrated bulls alive today. As a result of his castration, Bo has a calm temperament and doesn’t experience musth, the annual season (sometimes months) of elevated levels of testosterone during which time bulls become quite dangerous with other male elephants and humans.

Bo’s history: Bo was born in captivity, the offspring of Vance and Sue, members of a breeding herd of elephants owned by Roman Schmidt. At one year old Bo was purchased by Cheryl Shawver of Animal Actors of Hollywood and at the age of five he was purchased by George Carden. Bo spent the next three decades under the Carden family’s care, traveling internationally and performing with the George Carden Circus.

Why Bo is being retired: Bo is a highly valued circus performer in the prime of his life. It’s unusual for circuses to retire elephants in their 30s but George Carden believes Bo deserves a different life. “Bo is family to me and deserves to retire to a beautiful place designed to give him a good life,” says George. “I want him to have the best, which is why I want him to live at the Refuge.”

General Facts About Asian Elephants

Species: Asian elephants are one of three recognized species of elephants. The other two are African savanna and African forest.

Home ranges: Southeastern Asia, including India, Thailand, Nepal, Sumatra, Cambodia, Myanmar, Bhutan, Borneo, Vietnam, Bangladesh and China. They inhabit grasslands, different types of forests and scrublands. They can live at altitudes ranging from sea level to more than 9,800 feet.

Number of Asian elephants in the wild today: Between 30,000 and 50,000

Physical characteristics: Largest living land mammal in Asia. Their forehead has two hemispherical bulges and their back is convex. They have five toes on each forefoot and four in each hind foot. Their trunk has one finger-like tip.

Diet: Herbivore. Adult Asian elephants eat 100 to 200 pounds of plant material each day. In the wild they spend close to 20 hours a day searching for, selecting, collecting and eating a wide variety of live vegetation. Asian elephants graze, eating a range of plants, including bamboo in the growing season and adding tree branches in the dry season.

Drinking: Elephants drink 30 to 50 gallons of water a day, using their trunk to siphon up to 10 gallons of water at a time. Their strong trunk muscles stop the water before it reaches their sinuses. Then they place the tip of their trunk up to their mouth and squirt the water into their mouth.

FACT SHEET: CAROL BUCKLEY, ELEPHANT REFUGE NORTH AMERICA AND ELEPHANT AID INTERNATIONAL

ABOUT CAROL BUCKLEY, ELEPHANT REFUGE NORTH AMERICA AND ELEPHANT AID INTERNATIONAL

Carol Buckley Biography, long version:

Elephant Aid International Founder, President and CEO Carol Buckley is an internationally recognized authority in the rescue, retirement, rehabilitation and welfare of captive-held elephants. Carol creates innovative models that set new standards of care for elephants in captivity and are copied and adapted for various captive situations in the US and Asia.

With nearly 50 years experience working with captive-held elephants, Buckley is known for her extensive knowledge of elephant values, physiology and culture. She has developed revolutionary non-dominant management systems and holistic healthcare programs that support the recovery of elephants while ensuring their autonomy.

In 2009, concerned about the lives of many elephants in captivity, Buckley founded Elephant Aid International. A leading spokesperson and expert witness for elephant care and protection nationally and internationally, Buckley works with governmental agencies, private organizations and NGOs to strengthen regulations protecting the welfare of elephants in captivity.

Buckley co-founded America’s first and largest natural habitat elephant sanctuary, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, in 1995. In her 15 years at the Sanctuary, Buckley oversaw the rescue of 23 elephants. Under her leadership, the Sanctuary drew international acclaim for its integrative, holistic approach to medical care and trauma recovery.

Carol received a Genesis Award in recognition of her innovative work (2001) and has been named a Hero for The Planet by Time magazine and an Ambassador for Elephants by Asian Elephants Today.

Carol has been the subject of numerous features in the New York Times Magazine, Parade, National Geographic, Chicago Tribune, People and Readers Digest. Her work has been featured on Oprah, ABC News 20/20, CBS News, CNN, the Canadian Broadcast Corp. and many others.

Carol Buckley Biography, short version:

Elephant Aid International Founder, President and CEO Carol Buckley is an internationally recognized authority in the rescue, retirement, rehabilitation and welfare of captive-held elephants. With nearly 50 years experience working with captive-held elephants, Buckley is known for her extensive knowledge of elephant values, physiology and culture. She has developed revolutionary non-dominant management systems and holistic healthcare programs that support the recovery of elephants while ensuring their autonomy. Buckley founded Elephant Aid International in 2009 to improve the welfare of captive elephants worldwide. She also co-founded America’s first and largest natural habitat elephant sanctuary, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, in 1995. In her 15 years at the Sanctuary, Buckley oversaw the rescue of 23 elephants and won international acclaim for its integrative, holistic approach to medical care and trauma recovery.

About Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA): Elephant Refuge North America is an 850-acre natural habitat refuge designed specifically to meet the needs of retired elephants who have spent their lives in captivity. The lush pastures, forests, creeks and spring-fed lakes and its temperate climate allow elephants to graze and forage on natural vegetation with the opportunity to explore outdoors 24/7, nearly 356 days a year.

Our motto at the Refuge is, “Elephants come first!” Free choice of where, when and with whom to eat, sleep, bathe and graze, along with unrestricted access to acres of natural habitat with a state-of-the art fully automated elephant house is a recipe for good health. The Refuge is a project of Elephant Aid International and will ultimately be home to as many as 10 elephants retired from zoos and circuses.

About Elephant Aid International (EAI): Carol Buckley founded EAI, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, in 2010 to support the lives of captive elephants worldwide. EAI enlists scientists, veterinarians, mahouts [elephant handlers] and owners in advancing elephant welfare. EAI also provides education and hands-on assistance for elephants’ care, training and handling. Learn more at http://elephantaidinternational.org.

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