What will happen to the Ringling animals?
So many of you wrote me about Ringling Circus closing… You echoed my joy, learning that these animals will no longer be confined to travel cages and barren enclosures, they won’t die in overheated railway cars, and they won’t be chained to a wall to “learn” to stand.
MAYBE.
Did you know that Ringling has not said WHERE the animals are going? Did you know that the common practice is to sell unwanted wild animals to the highest bidder?
They could be:
– sold for a truckstop attraction.
– sold for canned hunts (happens RIGHT HERE IN USA.)
– sold to private owners (no federal laws regulate the possession of exotic animals)… good intent can quickly lead to gross neglect; keeping a wild animal is not simple! These animals frequendly end up living locked in rooms, basements, and cages amid their own waste.

SIGN THE PETITION: ASK RINGLING TO SEND THE ANIMALS TO SANCTUARY.
a TRUE sanctuary.
WHAT IS A TRUE SANCTUARY?
- A true sanctuary is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS). This is an important distinction because MANY places use the word “sanctuary” in their title to sound legitimate.
- A true sanctuary does not buy or sell animals, they don’t allow people to touch wild animals, they don’t exhibit them off property and, most important: they don’t breed them.
Did you know:
That when you pet tiger or lion cubs, you are holding and petting babies who will end up in canned hunts… read more about the truth about tiger cub petting, and what happens to those little cubs used in cub petting experiences.
Did you know:
You can kill these now-grown-babies right here in America! Ranches in Texas and Florida offer the opportunity to kill exotic animals… it is legal to kill big cats, zebras, giraffes, etc. on ranches right here in the United States.– Want to kill exotic African animals? Just go to Texas.**
**the title of that article is actually “Want to hunt exotic animals?” but I changed it to “Want to KILL exotic animals?” because HUNTING involves running REALLY FAST… jumping… attacking your prey… getting bloody during a battle… and a good chance of your own failure or death.
If you are just hanging out with a gun, THAT IS NOT HUNTING.
Did you know:
There are more captive tigers JUST in the U.S., than there are wild tigers in the world... and of those captive tigers, 94% are in non-accredited private hands like roadside tourist attractions or your neighbor’s backyard.
Did you know:
Captive tigers actually have a NEGATIVE impact on conservation efforts. (that’s a post for another day! but this book is a wonderful resource if you’d like to understand more!)
Did you know:
For every performing lion or tiger, 30 lions or tigers are destroyed because they don’t have the look or temperament for training.– Blood of the Tiger: the Battle to Save a Magnificent Species
Did you know:
Wild animals in circuses are ILLEGAL in so many places!
So! While circuses that use wild animals are only one aspect of the way that animals suffer when they are seen as commodities for humans, Ringling closing is still progress!
Let’s make it an opportunity to raise awareness! Let’s be a voice for these intelligent, amazing animals who have their OWN language, but do not share ours and so go unheard.
As Ringling wraps up, (they are performing until May, here is a list of known, planned protests; coming to Philadelphia Feb 16… join our group!)
People in each city Ringling visits will be there asking:
WHERE ARE THE ANIMALS GOING?
WHERE ARE THE ANIMALS GOING?
WHERE ARE THE ANIMALS GOING?
.@NicoleFeld when will you tell us the future of @RinglingBros animals?? Will they go to TRUE sanctuaries?? https://t.co/8DJSmtJw6f
— Victoria E Barnes (@victoriaEbarnes) February 7, 2017
.@NicoleFeld what is the future of Ringling animals? Animal lovers want them to go to CERTIFIED @GFASsanctuary! NOT to the highest bidder!
— Victoria E Barnes (@victoriaEbarnes) February 3, 2017
I know you probably think this post should be over soon… but NOPE! I have WAY MORE TO SAY!
Do you know where Ringling sent the elephants… NOT to a sanctuary!
Ringling could have sent the elephants to a TRUE SANCTUARY… but since they already had a “breeding facility” they just decided to rename it a “sanctuary.” Is it better than hauling these animals around in cages and chains? Sure! BUT WHY NOT SENT THEM TO SANCTUARY? Let me guess! Does profit have anything to do with it?
A California sanctuary, run by the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), offers elephants rolling hills, lakes to bathe in, and trees to browse; there’s enough room for elephants to wander all day and sleep where they choose.
In contrast, Ringling’s spread is flat and treeless except for the bamboo that is fed to the animals as roughage. Ringling’s female elephants and youngsters sometimes graze in vast pastures, but may also be penned for the day on an acre of sand, as males always are. One male, Gunther, frequently balances himself on the five 80-pound rubber balls in his enclosure. Other pens have fallen trees, chunks of concrete, or an old tire as diversions. — National Geographic
In the wild, female elephants usually don’t begin mating until they are 18, but Ringling used Shirley for breeding when she was only 7 years old. In the video below, you can see that she was restrained with chains during her labor, and she couldn’t see her baby as he was being born and she inadvertently kicked her newborn… then the “humans” pulled the baby out of her reach and prevented her from touching him… you can see her reach her trunk for her baby and cry for him.
Eight months later, her baby was euthanized after sustaining severe and irreparable fractures to both hind legs… The baby may have been afflicted with a bone disorder caused by malnourishment because his mother was never allowed to nurse him.
RINGLING DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THESE ANIMALS.
Ringling has been paying Animal Welfare Act violations for neglect and abuse for decades! If you think that’s just hype from the crazies like me who think we shouldn’t abuse animals, go read this AMAZINGLY researched and documented Mother Jones article that centers around Kenny, a three-year-old baby elephant who was so badly neglected by Ringling that he died alone, shackled in his stall.
During the afternoon performance, he began bleeding from his bottom and afterward struggled to stay on his feet. It was only then that Gary D. West, a circus veterinarian, arrived to examine the young elephant. West prescribed antibiotics and recommended that Kenny skip the evening show—”he might pass some blood which might be seen by a spectator and cause speculation as to his well being.” West was overruled and Kenny made his third appearance, although he was too weak to perform any stunts.
After the evening show, the bleeding continued. The elephant crew gave Kenny rehydration fluids and shackled him in his stall. Less than two hours later, a night attendant discovered his bloodied body on the concrete floor. The cause of death remains unclear.
Since Kenny’s death, 3 more of the 23 baby elephants born at Ringling’s breeding facility have died, all under disturbing circumstances that weren’t fully revealed to the public.
Since Kenny’s death, inspectors have found baby elephants injured and bound at Ringling’s Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida. Whistleblowers have stepped forward with harrowing accounts of beatings. Activists have released even more videos of elephant abuse, and local humane authorities have documented wounds and lameness… None of that has moved regulators to action. — The Cruelest Show on Earth, Mother Jones
HOW WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
1. DO NOT SUPPORT ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY: loudly and persistently reject ALL FORMS of the idea that animals exist for our entertainment.
2. SHOW UP FOR ANIMALS: signing petitions and sharing on social media is a great start, BUT IT’S NOT ENOUGH. Showing up in person says: THIS IS SO IMPORTANT I DROVE HERE TO HOLD A SIGN.
3. ABOUT RINGLING SPECIFICALLY: make your voice heard by Ringling’s parent company Feld Entertainment, who has other businesses (Disney on Ice) and might (theoretically) care about public perception… (or not! lol… I’m so delusional!)
Signing the petition and sharing it with your friends and family is a good start… but let’s also contact Feld Entertainment:
.@NicoleFeld when will you tell us the future of @RinglingBros animals?? Will they go to TRUE sanctuaries?? https://t.co/8DJSmtJw6f
— Victoria E Barnes (@victoriaEbarnes) February 7, 2017
EMAIL:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Here! I wrote it for you!
Subject: Where will the animals go?
Dear Ringling,
I am an animal lover who is concerned about the future of the wild animals in your care! Can you reassure me that the animals will be sent to GFAS-accredited sanctuaries?
Sincerly,
Victoria Barnes
102 Fancy Ave.
Fancyville, FV 12345
OR CALL THEM: (703) 448-3639 or (703) 749-5523
If you get a response… let me know! I haven’t! And I’ve communicated with Big Cat Rescue, a GFAS-accredited sanctuary who (among others!) has offered Ringling a safe home for the tigers… Ringling has not responded.
February 7, 2017 @ 12:16 pm
I signed the petition, with comment. There are a host of things humans can do, but should not because those things are not right. Mistreating animals or using them in unnatural ways is one of them. I certainly hope Ringling listens, but people with hard hearts are often unmoved by such petitions. What would be really helpful is widely published news stories. Are any of your readers journalists??
February 13, 2017 @ 1:31 pm
I live in Florida and have followed this. The Ringling Brothers are supposedly retiring their animals to a wild life refuge in/near Lakeland.
February 7, 2017 @ 12:17 pm
I think what a lot more people really want to know is: What will happen to all 2500 CLOWNS that just became homeless. Bahahahaha
February 7, 2017 @ 12:31 pm
I get that this is a joke but whatever the clowns do next at least it will be their choice just like they chose to be clowns in the first place. The animals have no choice. Forced to perform and still at the mercy of people to decide their fate.
February 10, 2017 @ 10:00 am
And the spangly outfits! Who speaks for the spangles?
February 7, 2017 @ 12:29 pm
Thank you for posts like these. I try to raise awareness for animal rights and welfare every chance I get but it can often feel like shouting into a black hole. People usually are either activists already like you and me or they couldn’t care less…there’s not a lot of middle ground when it comes to animals. Thank you for trying to shine a light into the darkness many animals face and for using your social media platform as a means to make this planet a little better place.
February 7, 2017 @ 1:06 pm
I just sent an email to Feld Entertainment, and I got an automated reply listing their telephone numbers. If anyone wants to phone and talk to them or leave a message, the numbers are:
(703) 448-3639 or (703) 749-5523
Public pressure forced Sea World to stop breeding orcas and phase out its theatrical shows featuring them – this type of public scrutiny DOES work!
February 7, 2017 @ 1:17 pm
A THOUSAND THANKS FOR THIS! I cannot believe I forgot the phone #’s!!!
xoxo.
February 7, 2017 @ 1:09 pm
Thank you for posting about this! I have signed the petition!!
February 7, 2017 @ 1:12 pm
Sucker that I am, I read the statement Ringling made that the elephants were going to a “Sanctuary” and didn’t think any further. I am sad to learn that there is nothing so lovely as a true sanctuary planned yet. And I had no idea that there were all those other animals. And that it is still legal to have roadside zoos?!?!? This world needs some goddam improvement, stat. Tweeted and signed.
February 7, 2017 @ 1:14 pm
Hi! My name is also Victoria! I’ve been reading your blog for ages and I adore it. Especially since I love GFTs and limiting animal cruelty and making the world a better place for humans and animals. I was just wondering if you were a vegan or vegetarian? You are so passionate about the humane treatment of animals and abolishing circuses and I remember the posts about when you were growing your own organic leafy greens. So to me it just seems like something that would go hand in hand. I’ve been a switching between vegetarian and vegan for seven years and I just turned nineteen. I made the switch on account of how poorly farm animals are treated and how it goes against my own personal values. But after further studying how dairy cows are treated I am now CONVINCED that I can no longer support the diary industry. I was just curious if your passion extends to the food industry 🙂
February 7, 2017 @ 1:33 pm
Hey name/GFT twin… yes. Vegan. (Paul too.)
I went vegetarian at 15… overnight when I learned about animal treatment. Then it was another few months before I learned how baby cows are taken from their mothers so humans can drink their milk… I LITERALLY did not even realize that female cows must have a baby to produce milk for the baby! (of course! duh! I must not have been a very bright teenager!)
To me now, (regardless of animal treatment,) it seems so obvious to me that humans are not meant to drink cow’s breast milk! We are the only animal to drink another species’ lactation excretions… and just LOGICALLY that makes zero sense to me. And then, of course the babies! Female cows become more dairy cows… boys are trash– sent to become veal! How can we treat babies like that!
I have struggled here on my blog to balance the validation of people liking what I write: it feels good! With my personal experience of sharing how GOOD a plant-based life feels! Weirdly people frequently don’t like the messenger… and this sort of crushes my soul.
I have plenty of post-drafts I’ve written, and have been slowly working on them… I appreciate people like you commenting because it helps me feel like I am not alone!!
xoxo, VEB
February 7, 2017 @ 1:55 pm
The mother/child nursing relationship was lost on me too until I gave birth. After that the breastfeeding connection I felt with my baby was so powerful that it became repulsive to me to drink another mother’s milk. I also learned that cows carry their babies for 9 months just like humans and that a female cow and her daughter will spend their entire lives together if not born in a dairy farm. I cannot imagine giving birth to baby after baby and having them all taken from me. I think the cows must go insane.
February 7, 2017 @ 1:32 pm
Done and done! Keep us posted on what happens!
February 7, 2017 @ 1:38 pm
Perhaps the animals will go here:
http://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org/
I have visited this sanctuary in Colorado. It’s purpose is to house animals released from zoos, circuses, etc. It really isn’t awful at all. It did strike me however that rabbit can run happily across the Colorado landscape and the animals don’t even flinch. They have no idea how to hunt after being captive.
Really, visit this place and support it!
February 7, 2017 @ 1:55 pm
Next year, someone should develop a flyer about the fact that the Canadian Goose jackets have real coyote fur and the cruelty that occurs to get the fur. ( I have been in arguments about the fact that it is indeed real fur). We could discreetly leave the flyers down in the sleeves of the coats at the stores.
A big fancy thank you for all you do!
February 7, 2017 @ 2:06 pm
http://victoriaelizabethbarnes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/canada-goose-tortures-coyotes-.png
sooooo… I may have made this to give to people I see wearing Canada Goose… and I may have (misused) the work copy machine… and I may have stuffed all the sleeves at Nord—shhhh when I was at the mall at Christmas.
my graphic design skills leave something to be desired, but I cannot resist showing you.
February 7, 2017 @ 2:32 pm
Maybe you have a new partner in crime, I mean, education!
February 7, 2017 @ 2:37 pm
I’m actually laughing out loud… I hate posting about this stuff, and I can get pretty low, but you made my day.
February 7, 2017 @ 2:53 pm
I have never signed a petition or emailed for a cause before – shocking, perhaps shameful, I know. I can’t watch the videos you posted because I know they will most likely make me ill. But you have inspired me to both sign the petition and email the contacts you have provided – done and done!
February 7, 2017 @ 2:56 pm
THANK you.
xoxo, VEB
February 7, 2017 @ 3:35 pm
With all the de-regulation taking place in the new Trump administration White House, you can forget about anyone in Washington giving a shit about these poor circus animals! It is all sickening to me. I will sign your petition and I will email these people about getting these animals into approved sanctuaries but I DO believe that the people we are dealing with at Ringling are heartless and solely focused on the bottom line dollar. “You can’t wring water from a stone”…..to quote a journalist whose piece in the NY Times I just read today. We must all do what we can and continue to pray for these defenseless creatures. Thank you for a marvelous post!
February 8, 2017 @ 1:17 pm
Way to go political. What exactly did the previous administration do to stop this abuse? For that matter any previous one the last decades?
February 8, 2017 @ 1:55 pm
I think she is referring to the USDA shuttering public access to animal abuse records? (I mean this in the least political way possible because I know animal lovers on both sides of the aisle who are very upset!)
“substandard roadside zoos, shameful animal circuses, puppy breeding factories and more.” Often, the animals in these facilities may have visible wounds or cramped conditions or no access to water, according to Roberts. He says “the government’s decision to make it harder to access this information further protects animal exploiters in the shroud of secrecy on which their nefarious activities thrive.”
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/02/wildlife-watch-usda-animal-welfare-trump-records/
February 8, 2017 @ 3:05 pm
Caroline, Thank you for the link. Sigh! I went and looked at several sites and their opinion on this. I do not agree with the taking down of the info either however, USDA says there will be adjustments. So hopefully the adjustments will be swift and include getting the info out in a timely manner as before while correcting some issue with lawsuits brought against the USDA. Which costs time and money. While the USDA has to fight lawsuits those inspectors are possibly taken off the field ( to either go to court or deposition hearings) when they are needed to do more inspections.
Thanks again for the link!
February 7, 2017 @ 3:37 pm
Victoria ,
Please continue to post about animal welfare . Education is key. I’m ashamed to say that you have raised my animal rights awareness 100 fold , even though I have had dear friends that are activists .
I have followed you based on your humor , your love of GFT s, and a shared dilliusion about the resurrection of butchered old houses ” with good bones “. But sprinkling in your passion for the welfare of animals has gently nudged me to rethink , be more aware , ask questions and Wake Up . When we know better , we do better . Thank you for helping me know better . ❤️
February 7, 2017 @ 5:07 pm
I never did find the link to the petition but I emailed the 3 addresses and got an automated reply.
February 7, 2017 @ 7:43 pm
Thank you for your passion on this issue! It is people like you who push us all to be better. Although Ringling Brothers wouldn’t have the option to retire any possible chimpanzees here, I thought I would still pass on some information about this amazing organization. We just visited Project Chimps in Georgia this weekend (a friend of our’s a director there and gave us an insiders view). It is absolutely amazing to see the lives they have created for these animals who have had no freedom in their past lives as private biomedical research chimps. It’s heartening to know that there are people working for the good of animals! Thank you for your part in that! projectchimps.org
February 7, 2017 @ 7:44 pm
Signed it. Keep up the good work.
And if you get a chance please challenge your readers to NOT purchase leather goods from China. I will not tell you what they do to cows because you will never sleep again.
February 8, 2017 @ 8:24 am
Hi Victoria, just wanted to let you know that I just sent emails to each of the three email addys above for Feldine. Each was immediately rejected by my server as not deliverable. It appears they may have taken these emails down.
February 8, 2017 @ 9:23 am
Good Morning – I really appreciate posts like this since I am not well educated on the mistreatment of animals. I really appreciate the way you present the information and I take it to heart. This is slightly off topic, but its something I have been thinking about since I have had children…I have never really been comfortable with zoos. I’m a Philly local (Delaware actually) and have only been to the Philadelphia Zoo a couple times as a child/teen and once as an adult. Likewise, I’ve only been to the Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington once, as an adult with my toddler. Every single time I feel heartbroken for the animals and I am really not comfortable taking my children without understanding if zoos actually do more than just keep animals captive. A dear relative actually purchased a membership to the Brandywine Zoo for my family and I couldn’t even bring myself to visit because of my concerns about the living conditions.
Do you have any resources or good places to start reading about the purpose of zoos and whether or not they do serve a purpose for conservation efforts? Do you think there is ever a benefit to keeping an animal in captivity? Honestly, I think NO, but as I mentioned before I am not well educated on the subject.
February 8, 2017 @ 11:13 am
THANK you for taking the time to write this comment and for thinking about these issues! (and for making me feel like the people who read my blog are not merely “tolerating” my animal posts!)
My response will be longer than you were expecting because I’m working on a website for our Philadelphia animal group to raise public awareness about the subpar conditions at the Philadelphia zoo! My work/life has been busy and I’ve not been making progress as fast as I’d like, but your comment helped me get back into that headspace and want to work on this content! so seriously, thanks!
To start:
You can Google “zoochosis” and “stereotypic animal behavior”… Essentially, captive animals are driven insane with boredom, frustration, depression… the way anyone would be when deprived of literally anything that is natural to them!
These are beings that have developed over millennia to survive in the wild, climb trees, swim far, run fast, have babies, raise families, hunt prey, dig dens, travel over huge distances, have sophisticated and intelligent relationships with their kin, and essentially just BE ALIVE in their own way… NONE of them have evolved to live in cages so humans can “see” them!
If keeping an orca in a tank is unethical, (see “Blackfish”) then why not an elephant, a tiger, or a gorilla? In the wild, Tigers can travel up to 5 miles a day within a territory that spans over 100 miles! AND THEY LOVE TO SWIM. Tigers can swim MILES!
Zoos cannot provide the amount of space animals have in the wild. This is particularly the case for those species who roam huge distances in their natural habitat. Tigers and lions have around 18,000 times less space in zoos than they would in the wild!
Our efforts need to focus on protecting endangered animal’s organic habitats, human responsibility, and education… zoos are in NO way an answer to any of the challenges facing animals in the wild!
I VERY MUCH WISH that captivity had anything to do with conservation… but it doesn’t! Animals born and bred in zoos are not released to the wild. (Sure, a species can EXIST in captivity, when extinct in the wild, but to what end?)
Are there “good” zoos? Sure. But they are the exception, not the rule. (You’ve been to the Philadelphia zoo, you’ve seen that it is NO place for wild animals.) And it sets a standard that humans have some kind of unalienable “right” to keep another being in captivity so they can LOOK at them! That is the essential/operating belief of ANY zoo: that it’s fine for a wild animal to live in a cage/be controlled by humans because we want to LOOK at it… which is a REALLY slippery slope.
***
The Philadelphia Zoo is America’s first zoo, (opened 1874) and it is among the nation’s worst; housing the animals in crumbling, outdated enclosures that were built long before modern-day considerations for animal welfare.
The Philadelphia zoo CEO makes over $300,000 a year! They receive millions every year in tax dollars. Yet they spend LESS THAN 1% of the annual budget on improving the living conditions of the animals.
The zoo touts meager improvements like the “Big Cat Crossing” in it’s endless publicity (another budget expense that is astronomical) but in reality, it added only 350 feet of wire-enclosed path… but did NOTHING to address the fact that the Philadelphia zoo is unable to “display” all of the big cats at one time. Whatever cats are “on display” means that there are other big cats in the concrete holding cells “behind the scenes.”
***
A few more random thoughts:
Something I struggle with is how it is not OBVIOUS to some people why all of this is wrong? If you ever figure it out, let me know!
Something I hear a lot is about how great it is for kids… but I disagree! Children don’t learn anything from seeing an animal in a cage. Especially now – with the Internet! You can see and learn about ACTUAL wild animal habitats. Seeing an animal in captivity is seeing nothing but misery.
Human zoos were bad… right? But there was a time IN RECENT HISTORY where we exhibited “exotic” humans. (The last human exhibition was held in Belgium circa 1958… here is a photo http://victoriaelizabethbarnes.com/humanzoo2/ )
I believe deeply in intersectionality: all things are connected! All systems of oppression are the SAME… they cannot be cannot be examined separately from one another! We cannot say that SOME lives matter LESS than others.
I believe there is room for everyone at the table… I believe that to exclude ANY group is to exclude ALL! because for YOU/I to decide that “some” are allowed, but not “others.” Means that YOUR/MY definition of “others” will always be specific to YOU/ME… and at some point we will find that there is someone who wants to exclude YOU/ME, because THEY see us as “other.”
Kindness, liberty, freedom… whatever words you want to use, MUST apply to ALL. Otherwise, they apply to NONE.
Ok… ummm. THANKS for reading… the ALL CAPS are my way of emphasis, not shouting at you!!
And, if somehow you are not exhausted yet, here is a link that I like:
https://www.outsideonline.com/1930141/case-closing-zoos
xoxo,
VEB
February 8, 2017 @ 3:20 pm
Thank you for your reply. Truly, I think you are an example that should be held high as a way to educate others about topics that are so intrinsically fraught with emotion. It would be so easy for you to go down a path of condescension and elitist disbelief that, as you say “how is it not obvious…” You are doing important, vital awareness work and you should know it is working. I knew in my heart I couldn’t support zoos (circus were never a question for me…they are so clearly horrendous in my mind) and you have helped articulate what I’ve always instinctively known, but questioned because of societal conditioning. It’s so easy these days, and so tempting, to stop really *thinking* about anything that doesn’t directly impact my day-to-day life. Your posts like this are the perfect reminders that we must not become complacent! We must think critically about what is presented to us as a society…at every level.
I hope you know and are proud of the community you have fostered that enable someone to say “I am not as educated as I should be” and feel safe.
February 8, 2017 @ 1:37 pm
Victoria,
I will add to your growing support of the post. Hopefully we all can help make a difference in some way for humane treatment of animals. I have shown my children videos and info on treatment of animals…and humans! We have changed the type of food we buy now, we hope for the better. While not vegans our family tries to purchase from sources that do not abuse animals and are free roaming local raised. I have been on that baby cow milk bandwagon for the past 25 yrs! I mean ick!! 😳
I think we all can make a difference in our interaction with friends and families by giving our opinion and concern for the care of humans and animals. You have a pretty diverse wide audience. While we may not all end up vegan,vegetarian we can try to make more educated decisions on lots of ways as we go about purchasing items for consumption or entertainment!
Thanks for your education here! Just added 4 more signatures to the petition! 🎉
February 9, 2017 @ 12:13 am
Read, Signed and in complete agreement with you.
What do you think of the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee?