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Help Us Celebrate Bo’s One Year Retirement Anniversary
We’re raising $2,300 to bring in 111 tons of fresh sand for the stalls in the Elephant Barn to get ready for winter.
It’s hard to believe a year has already flown by since the arrival of Bo, the first elephant resident at Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA), which means it is time for more sand.
Bo takes a nap in the sand
Our sand-filled elephant stalls are the newest innovation to address the welfare of captive-held elephants. These deep sand pits help to prevent pressure wounds, arthritis, musculoskeletal degeneration and other physical ailments that result from elephants standing on unnaturally hard surfaces. We use estuary sand for the floors because it is round and doesn’t have the rough edges of other sands, which can make them congeal into a hard surface.
While our Elephant Barn has an effective septic system and hard-working volunteers and caretakers to keep it clean, soiled sand is removed daily when the barn is in use and repurposed for pathways and to fill in holes where the sun and rain can purify it. Instead of reusing that sand in the barn, we replenish the stalls with fresh, unsoiled sand to ensure a sanitary environment for the elephants.
Please help us celebrate Bo’s one-year retirement anniversary and join the group effort to supply fresh truckloads of sand for the Elephant Barn. Bo and Tarra will appreciate their clean digs when they return to the barn on cold winter nights.
Donations of any amount will help:
- $15 buys one ton of sand
- $561 buys enough sand for one stall (includes delivery)
- $600 covers the loader and operator to move sand into the stalls
Every dollar counts and will help us give the best care to our elephant residents. Thank you for your support!
