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It’s Animal Sanctuary Caregiver Day

June 12, 2025

Tomorrow marks Animal Sanctuary Caregiver Day and we’re celebrating our outstanding group of 8 caregivers and the work they take on each day! None of what we do would be possible without the skill, care, and willingness to learn that our caregivers demonstrate on a daily basis. While we know it might sound fun to take care of elephants, the truth is that caregivers only spend a small portion of their day with elephants. The rest of the time is spent in the kitchen and at the barn preparing and putting together flakes of hay and buckets of food for the girls, caring for animals in the wildlife rehabilitation program, and cleaning up poop, rain or shine. They work in the scorching sun and in torrential rain. It takes true commitment to do what they do. 

Being a caregiver means learning to listen–to what the elephants are telling you and to your instincts. You have to learn to open up and be vulnerable to the elephants if they’re going to trust you, but that’s an ongoing process. Caring for elephants is an incredibly nuanced skill and taking it on means committing to a lifetime of learning. Those who look after them need to know what makes each girl unique and special, what their personalities are like, how they communicate, and they need to anticipate the elephants’ needs and respond accordingly.

Without the commitment of our dedicated team of caregivers our important work would be impossible. Each day they learn more about being in the moment and staying present for every encounter. We always learn from the elephants of our past and allow the lessons we’ve discovered to inform our work for the future. We work to instill that knowledge in the caregivers as we grow together as a team.

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Comments(10)

  1. REPLY
    Robin Vitulle says
    June 12, 2025 at 2:09 pm

    The Caregivers are the unsung heros! Their love and dedication to elephants and all of the different animal rescues are the heartbeat of sanctuary! THANK YOU Caregivers!!!
    #FreeAllCaptiveElephants – FACE

  2. REPLY
    Julie says
    June 12, 2025 at 2:10 pm

    Indeed. Thank you so much, caregivers, for all of your hard work. On your toughest day and every day, please remember you are appreciated by many elephant-loving people!

    • REPLY
      Bonnie says
      June 13, 2025 at 12:21 am

      To all the caregivers at the Sanctuary Thank you

  3. REPLY
    Sue says
    June 12, 2025 at 2:45 pm

    Thank you for all you do to help take care of the Sanctuary and all its residents! I can only try to imagine the hard work and dedication it requires. Thank you for the video which provided a look into some of the things you do. I can’t express how grateful I am for people like you who give so much of themselves to help others. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 🥰❤️🐘❤️

  4. REPLY
    Nancy says
    June 12, 2025 at 4:18 pm

    Thank you care givers!

  5. REPLY
    Cintia says
    June 12, 2025 at 7:42 pm

    Thank you for your dedication, love, care and hard work to give back some dignity and happiness stolen from our girls 🩷🩷 We appreciate you all 🙇💕

  6. REPLY
    Doe Fowler says
    June 12, 2025 at 9:02 pm

    Behind every happy tail, are caregivers who never give up. You are special! You are strong! You are loved! God bless!

  7. REPLY
    Beci says
    June 12, 2025 at 11:26 pm

    All of you are Amazing people to give of your lives to see that these beautiful beings are taken care of. You will be rewarded in the end. I thank you so much for everything you do. I just turned 70 which tells you when I was young nobody knew any better then Zoos, circuses, etc for captured elephants. Had there been Sanctuaries like this I would have definitely dedicated my life to them. Again thank you for what I consider a selfless job and special people doing it. 👏🏻👏🏻💓

  8. REPLY
    Carey says
    June 13, 2025 at 9:16 am

    I often think of you all slogging away doing all those essential jobs, in the heat, and with great commitment, and hope that you are getting a chance of learning what you never could if you weren’t there, and that it will add to your skills and fundamental knowledge for the future. Thank you and best of luck to you all.

  9. REPLY
    Barbara L Smith says
    June 13, 2025 at 4:07 pm

    Thank you for your dedication and care of those beautiful elephants. It’s truly a labor of love.

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