ATTAPULGUS — Tucked away in the farm lands of Georgia, three elephants freely roam in their own safe haven — and one just reached a major milestone.
Tarra – an 8-foot tall, 9,700-pound Asian elephant – celebrated her 50th birthday Wednesday with her two best friends, Bo and Mundi, in their serene natural habitat at Elephant Refuge North America about 30 miles from Florida’s capital city.
Carol Buckley, Tarra’s longtime guardian who’s been by her side starting when she was just a few months old, cheered her on as she marched into a new year.
Buckley, the founder of the refuge, said she was relieved to see Tarra reach this landmark age. Over the years, she was always worried Tarra might die, even though these elephants are expected to live to 70 years old.
“I said to her the other day ‘You are almost 50. You’re almost 50,’ ” Buckley said. “We’ve done it. We’ve got there. (She’s) 50. This is great.”
She’s confident Tarra has two more decades in her, Buckley said. The elephants are closely monitored all day long by Buckley through cameras across the 850 acres of pastures, forests and ponds.