Although it won’t be a tourist attraction, the South Georgia’s elephant sanctuary has garnered excitement from locals.
Here’s what she told us about the South Georgia elephant sanctuary:
Elephant Aid International founder Carol Buckley hopes to open the ranch as soon as possible. With less than a week to go before the perimeter fence is complete, the organization is hoping to start on the second fence as soon as possible.
Buckley said the non-profit organization is about halfway to the $412,000 needed to complete the second fence. Once they’ve raised enough for the fence, they’ll start to raise money for the elephant barn.
In total, the entire project will cost about $5 million. Buckley is hoping the ranch will be open by the end of the year.
Elephant Refuge North America will sit on about 850 acres. Buckley began looking for the perfect property to house her elephant sanctuary more than 2 years ago. "I had broken down and decided that what I was looking for does not exist," she said.
The organization was negotiating with an Alabama property when they discovered the South Georgia property.
Buckley said the diverse, oblong landscape will be perfect for the animals. The property includes two lakes and a pond, giving the elephants plenty of water to drink from, shower and wallow in.
Credit: Elephant Aid International
Credit: Elephant Aid International
Between 7-10 elephants will live on the property. Buckley said it's important to keep the herd of elephants small so that the experience feels natural for the animals.
When she opened her first elephant sanctuary in Tennessee, her goal was to rescue as many elephants as possible. She didn’t learn until later that Asian elephants will form smaller cliques if the heard becomes too big.
The organization also strives to educate. In addition to opening their first elephant sanctuary in North America, Elephant Aid International has been working to educate and train elephant mahouts and build "chain free corrals" in Asia. Training included a workshop in Nepal on caring for elephant feet. The organization's work in Nepal was captured in the documentary "Unchained."
The public won't be able to visit the ranch but they'll be able to watch the elephants via a live stream. The elephant ranch won't be open to the public, but elephant enthusiasts will be able to check in on the animals via a live stream on the organization's website. "If you're lucky, you'll see an elephant in a lake," Buckley said. "People get hooked on it."
The live stream will allow people to marvel at the animals without disturbing them.
