BO the Former Circus Elephant Arrives at His New Forever Home at a Sanctuary
An Entertainment Abuses Articles from All-Creatures.org

FROM LadyFreethinker.org
October 2021

Bo is the first elephant retired to the Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA) — an 850-acre reserve operated by Elephant Aid International (EAI) that opened two years ago and contains rolling hills, lush pastures, dense forests, and spring-fed lakes, creeks, and streams.

sanctuary Elephant Bo
Image from Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA)

After nearly three decades of forced servitude in a traveling circus, a 34-year-old Asian elephant named Bo finally arrived at his new forever home at an elephant sanctuary.

Bo is the first elephant retired to the Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA) — an 850-acre reserve operated by Elephant Aid International (EAI) that opened two years ago and contains rolling hills, lush pastures, dense forests, and spring-fed lakes, creeks, and streams.

He is now free to go where he wants on a 7-acre habitat in the sanctuary grounds, eat when he wishes, and idle or play as much as he likes.

Located in southwestern Georgia, ERNA has just the right climate to enable Bo and up to nine more captive-born elephants live outside year-round and regain their “elephantness.” As a captive elephant, Bo spent most of his life on a one-acre plot in Missouri, when not touring with the circus.

Although his movements will initially be limited to the 7-acre habitat for a few months of acclimation, he then will be allowed to roam a 100-acre area of pastures, woods, and ponds, according to EAI Founder Carol Buckley.

Shrine Circus Elephants
Shrine Circus captive Elephants

“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 said. “For the first time in his life, he can do as he pleases. He has to think on his own, ‘What do I want to do?’ That’s a big change.”

In the weeks leading up to Bo’s arrival, Buckley worked to reinforce the refuge’s exterior fencing, which was originally built to accommodate older female elephants. As a male elephant in the prime of his life, Bo is considerably larger and stronger.

Mercifully, Bo has escaped the suffering of circus life, but many other elephants are not as lucky.

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