Yulee, Florida
When the American circus industry collapsed, many performing elephants became homeless. The lives of these gentle, intelligent animals were threatened. They no longer had commercial value in the United States, and were far too old to begin new careers as working elephants in their native Asia. The possibility of any future at all looked dim.
Enter the White Oak Conservation Center, now funded by Mark and Kimbra Walter, one of the leading defenders of endangered species in the world. Aware that only 30,000 to 50,000 Asian elephants remain in the wild, White Oak agreed to take in these circus survivors. On May 3rd, 2021, the first herd of Asian elephants arrived in their new forest habitat at White Oak, where they will be joined by other former circus elephants as additional areas are developed.
According to Nick Newby, who leads White Oak’s elephant team, “Watching the elephants go out into the habitat was an incredible moment. I was so happy to see them come out together and reassure and comfort each other, just like wild elephants do, and head out to explore their new environment. Seeing the elephants swim for the first time was amazing.”
In addition to care for Asian elephants, White Oak provides habitat and protection for a number of endangered species, including Florida panthers, Florida grasshopper sparrows, and Mississippi Sandhill cranes.
The American Shelter Fund is proud to support this wonderful organization. You can donate to the White Oak Conservation Center here: http://www.whiteoakwildlife.org/support-white-oak/
americanshelterfund.org 