The first elephant arrives at Europe’s first elephant sanctuary
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Thanks to your support, Elephant Haven - Europe's first dedicated elephant sanctuary - now has its first resident. Gandhi arrived from a zoo in France and now has the best possible place to retirement.
The 52-year-old Asian elephant was born in the wild in 1969. But as a youngster she was captured - probably in Thailand - and has since been in various zoos, most recently in the French Les Terres de Nataé.
Sadly, Gandhi had some traumatic experiences earlier in life with other elephants. She has carried these negative memories with her, and for that reason the zoo unfortunately had to keep her isolated from other elephants for many years.
Gandhi's age and arthritis meant she couldn’t be transported long distances. So, Elephant Haven met all the criteria for a good forever home for her.
Tony Verhulst and Sofie Goetghebeur, who founded the the Elephant Haven European Elephant Sanctuary (EHEES) in France, both have many years of experience with elephant. They have now dedicated their lives to giving elephants from circuses and zoos the best possible retirement life in the large, scenic reserve.
Tony and Sofie started visiting Gandhi in Les Terres de Nataé for three months before moving. They helped take care of her so she could feel comfortable with them.
“Over the months, she showed more and more aspects of her personality with each passing day. She immediately stole our hearts and she responded very positively to the new experiences we offered her,” they said.
Many organisations came together to support moving Gandhi to her new home. And you helped to fund the construction of an elephant barn, ensuring Gandhi has a comfy space to rest.
On October 14, 2021, Gandhi moved into Elephant Haven after a 10-hour drive. She now has many hectares of natural terrain and the large, warm barn, so she can choose for herself what she wants to do and still have her special needs catered for.
For the first few days, Gandhi was tired from the journey, but now she has set about exploring her new surroundings. She is still careful, but she is very excited about the delicacies she gets to eat - especially watermelon, cut nettles, plums, parsley and lemons.
Many organisations came together to support moving Gandhi to her new home. And you helped to fund the construction of an elephant barn, ensuring Gandhi has a comfy space to rest.