May 8th, 2007 by: Ashley Cecil Email this to a friend
Elephant bliss
.jpg)
8″ x 10″ oil on canvas, $220 ($50 donated to the Elephant Sanctuary)
SOLD
See all artwork available for sale.
Last week’s post about elephant poaching in Zambia elicited some positive chatter and a request for a related painting. I’m always glad to get feedback and suggestions. I’m even more inclined to put your ideas on a canvas when info about a corresponding nonprofit is included. I got just such a lead from one reader informing me about the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.
Who would have ever guessed that 2,700 acres in Hohenwald, Tennessee are home to 23 “old, sick, and needy” elephants? The nonprofit’s website is fully outfitted with a artwork by Tarra the elephant (not bad I might add), regularly updated elephant diaries (no sorry, they may paint, but these are written by humans), and an elephant webcam!
Apparently, elephants are, literally, a huge problem when they’re no longer of use in a circus, or they cannot stay at their zoo. Finding a home for such an animal is not exactly like asking a neighbor to adopt your cat. The Elephant Sanctuary provides a geographically unusual home for the animals and raises awareness about their plight through public outreach and an educational curriculum for schools.
The elephant refuge is in a neighboring state, so I’ll definitely be visiting to get a glimpse from the sanctuary’s “people fence.”
5 Comments
May 9th, 2007 at 9:16 am
That’s great!
You wrote, “Apparently, elephants are, literally, a huge problem when they’re no longer of use in a circus, or they cannot stay at their zoo.”
Elephants are not the problem. The problem is the horrible life of elephants in circuses and the inadequacy of almost all elephant exhibits in zoos. Circuses are incredibly cruel to elephants; a number of animal welfare organizations, for example, are suing Ringling for their treatment of their elephants. As for zoos, elephants die much younger in zoos than they do in the wild, even though in captivity they safe from poaching and droughts and receive the “best” veterinary care. Part of the Sanctuary’s mission is to educate people about elephants and to create a new model for keeping them in captivity.
Anyway, sorry to go on but I just wanted to make sure that was clear. Many thanks for your painting, your donation and publicizing the Sanctuary!
Amy
May 9th, 2007 at 9:19 am
Hi Ashley, That’s great! Thanks so much for your support! Ellen
May 9th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Good point Amy. No one asked the elephants if they’d like to perform in a circus or live in a cramped zoo. I’m sure there’s a need for many more Elephant Sanctuaries, unfortunately.
August 29th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Is there a way to get a print of this? or any others not listed on your print pages?
August 29th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Yup, remind me to add a digital pic of this one to my ImageKind account (see the right sidebar button that says “custom order affordable prints here”).
Leave a Reply