Many of you have seen the now famous YouTube video of the elephant Tarra and her special canine friend Bella. The video went viral 2 years ago and brought world attention to The Elephant Sanctuary in Hoenwald Tennessee. The Sanctuary was founded by Carol Buckley, who rescued Tarra as a baby and traveled, lectured, and performed with her for over twenty years before investing her life savings and huge mortgage to found The Elephant Sanctuary. Tarra was the first elephant to find a new life at the Sanctuary with Carol they then rescued more elephants and educated many.

Bella was fatally injured by Coyotes on the Sanctuary grounds. Tarra carried her body home to the barn where she is housed and laid Bella down outside, where she was discovered. Her injuries and the blood on the underside of Tarra's trunk,helped everyone piece together what had happened.

Due to insider conflicts, the Board Of Directors of The Elephant Sanctuary voted Carol out, forced her to leave her own organization and have now prevented her from being with Tarra. Carol and Tarra were close friends for over 30 years. ...The Board of Directors have insisted that they are doing everything possible to comfort Tarra during this sad time but they are not allowing Carol to visit. Carol has filed with the Court to try to visit her elephant,but even though the judge is sympathetic,the fact that animals are "property" - "Things" under the law - makes it difficult for the court to intercede on Carol's and Tarra's behalf.

This is where YOU come in. Please sign this petition AND WRITE to CEO Rob Atkinson and the Board of Directors at elephant@elephants.com. Urge them to allow Carol to have access to the elephant she raised and rescued,in the organization that would never have come to be without her hard work and altruism. ( Carol has gone on to found Elephants International and works tirelessly in Southeast Asia, educating mahouts and other caregivers in humane treatment and training of captive elephants.)

Elephants have highly developed social networks and strong attachments to one another and to their caregivers;so much so that the Sanctuary only allows a very few people to interact with them directly. In this way the elephants are not constantly growing fond of people who are only on the grounds for a period of months or days. Carol vanished from Tarra's life 18 months ago, after being at her side for 30 years or more. Now Tarra has lost the little dog she loves,as well as Scott,Carol's former partner, who recently left the Sanctuary. To keep Tarra from seeing the most significant person in her life at this time is nothing less than abusive. It is petty and it is wrong,regardless of the reasons for Carol's departure. It is not unlike an acrimonious divorce where children are used as pawns to further the petty agenda of disgruntled parents.

Please do what you can, take a moment and make your voice heard. Carol Buckley has probably done more for captive elephant welfare than anyone in the world;this is the very least we can to to repay her in some small measure. Carol and Tarra need to be together!

PLEASE click here to sign the petition!!!!

More on Elephants & The Elephant Sanctuary from MerlianNews:

Elephants, Trauma and the Ego by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

The Animal Odd Couple by CBS News

Interview with Carol Buckley

The Circus Is No Place For Animals by Dena Ventrudo

Divas Thrive at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee by Kate Elliott

Delightful Dulary Arrives At The Elephant Sanctuary by Kate Elliott

The Divas and Darling Jenny by Kate Elliott

Space and Freedom Heal These Ex-Circus Divas at The Elephant Sanctuary by Kate Elliott

Rabbits Who Grunt and Bunny (an elephant) Who Chirps and Squeaks by Kate Elliott

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee Begins the Largest Rescue of Needy Circus Elephants in U.S. History

Elephants are Guides for the Soul by Kate Elliott

A Boundless Spirit: The Misty Story

Sanctuary: The Tarra Story

The Elephant Sanctuary Begins the Largest Rescue of Needy Circus Elephants in US History