The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is busy planning a super-sized birthday celebration for one of their senior residents.
According to Kate Mason, communications coordinator for the sanctuary in Hohenwald, Shirley, an Asian elephant, will turn 70 years old on July 6. That is a remarkable milestone with the average lifespan of captive elephants being 42 years for Asians and 47 years for Africans.
Shirley would have an amazing life story to tell, if only she could talk.
Born in Sumatra in 1948, Shirley was captured at age 5 from the wild and sold to a traveling circus, where she entertained audiences for more than 20 years. Over those two decades, Shirley survived the immense physical and emotional impact suffered by many captive elephants used for entertainment and financial gain.
Her story is largely about survival, and her many near-death experiences during her time traveling with the circus.
Around 1958, Shirley survived a capture attempt by Fidel Castro’s forces in Cuba. She walked away from a highway vehicle accident that killed two other elephants. Then in 1963, the circus ship Shirley was traveling on caught fire and partly sank. While she survived, the accident left Shirley with burns on her back, side and feet. A more severe burn also caused her to lose part of her right ear.
After an altercation with another elephant in 1974, Shirley suffered a broken leg that eventually ended her circus days. In 1977, the Louisiana Purchase Zoo and Gardens became Shirley’s new home, where she served as the sole elephant resident for 22 years.
As Shirley grew older, the zoo staff decided she needed more space and the companionship of other elephants. Her primary caretaker, Solomon James, accompanied Shirley on her journey from Louisiana to The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald.
When James and Shirley arrived at The Sanctuary, it was truly an emotional moment, but not because they were parting ways. Shirley had spotted another Asian elephant named Jenny.
At first sight, “The two elephants nearly bent the bars of their barn stalls to be near to one another,” shared Mason. It was later discovered that the two elephants had actually performed together in the traveling circus 24 years earlier.
For the next seven years, Shirley and Jenny were inseparable in a relationship resembling one of a mother and daughter.
Shirley's arrival at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee was captured by Argo Films, and became part of their documentary "The Urban Elephant," which captured Shirley and Jenny’s explorations, including Shirley, weighing in at four tons, standing guard over Jenny as she naps in the habitat.
“Shirley has been through so much in her life. It is amazing how quickly she seems to trust people,” said lead caregiver Kaitlin Stocks, who added, “She emanates love and kindness.”
To celebrate Shirley’s milestone 70th birthday, caregivers are creating an elephant-sized number 70 out of edible materials — bamboo, strung with fresh flowers and produce.
The sanctuary is also asking fans to post birthday wishes to Shirley in the form of a card, video, song, poem or comment on social media, using the hashtag #ShirleyTurns70.
On Shirley’s birthday, sanctuary staff will select five of their favorite submissions to receive a Shirley Gift Bag, including a T-shirt and other Elephant Sanctuary merchandise.
On Saturday, July 14, the Elephant Discovery Center will host a family-friendly Caregiver Chat with Shirley’s elephant caregivers. Audience members can ask questions and learn first-hand what is involved in caring for an elephant.
The Discovery Center is at 27 E Main St, Hohenwald, Tennessee, and will also be open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for visitors. Mason noted, “There will be no elephants on display at The Discovery Center.”
The Elephant Sanctuary, 85 miles southwest of Nashville in Hohenwald, provides elephants that have been retired from exhibit or performing with individualized care, the companionship of a herd, and the opportunity to live out their lives in a safe haven dedicated to their wellbeing.
The Sanctuary’s 11 resident elephants currently range in age from 35 to 70. That includes four other elephants 50 and older – Sissy, 50, Minnie and Ronnie, 52, and Billie 55.
Although the elephants’ habitats are closed to the public, The Elephant Discovery Center in downtown Hohenwald offers family-friendly educational experiences and supporters can watch the elephants in their habitats anytime via live-streaming EleCams at www.elephants.com.
The Elephant Sanctuary is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and certified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
