Why does Tamy need his own habitat?

Tamy will be the first male elephant to come to Elephant Sanctuary Brazil. Because we are a true sanctuary, and do not allow breeding, he will need his own space. Males are much larger and stronger than females, and most of our female elephants are physically compromised, so we must try to ensure their safety. The only female Asian resident that will be in breeding age is Guillermina- Tamy’s biological daughter. There is a possibility of future integration, but that includes decisions on birth control, Tamy’s demeanor, and whether our female residents would be receptive to having him in their habitat.

The male and female Asian habitats will be attached by a corridor, allowing for flexibility. He will be across a dirt road from them but will be able to see them when they are at the West end of their habitat. We are hopeful that Tamy will not be the only male Asian elephant to occupy that habitat. It is being designed to house two males, but that future is uncertain at this point.

Why such big fencing?

The simple answer- males are very strong and we need to keep them inside of their habitats. The fences are what allows the elephants to wander without any sort of human accompaniment. They can go where they want, when they want, and there are no worries. Many different types of fencing have been used for elephants, most require human ‘babysitting’ while others simply don’t work. This will be similar fencing as used in the Asian habitat, but taller, with additional horizontal steel pipe.

The design of the fencing we use comes from what the elephants in TN showed us. The initial fencing there was steel pipe and cable, but there were two elephants (one female Asian, one female African) that weren’t held in by this type of fencing. As we’ve said before, we build for the worst-case scenario and hope for the best. Miles of fencing had to be redone in TN, and it was an easy lesson to learn- do it right the first time. So we are. The fencing is made from used steel pipe, so it is much less expensive than it could be, and it will do its job.

Will Tamy have a pond and other amenities?

Yes, there will be a man-made pond in this area along with several mud wallows. Our initial habitats are all built in a similar fashion. The male habitat will have larger initial yards with the same features as the other two habitats.

How soon can his habitat be completed once the funds are raised?

This is a hard question to answer, some of it simply depends on the weather. It is the end of the rainy season and pouring concrete and welding becomes tricky, if not impossible, at times. Completing the three yards will take several months. COVID is also impacting our ability to acquire steel (along with price increases) and the availability of some needed supplies, like oxygen tanks to cut the tubes. There are also companies, like the concrete company, who have closed down at times due to positive staff. It’s a situation we can’t predict.

While the habitat is being constructed, Tamy can begin his training and, later on, his permit process. He has aggressive tendencies and will need a lot of patience and time to be able to complete the tests required for quarantine. In the meanwhile, after Pocha and Guillermina, Kenya is next on the list, followed by Kuky & Pupy (Buenos Aires), and then Tamy.

What happened to Tamy’s tusks?

Tamy is a tuskless male Asian elephant, sometimes referred to as a ‘Makhnas”. His tusks were not cut or trimmed, they were never there. He is naturally lacking in tusks.

Will Tamy come by truck or plane?

Tamy will come to Elephant Sanctuary Brazil by truck. Air transport is very limiting, expensive, and for many elephants, more stressful than driving. With Ramba, there wasn’t a choice due to her proximity to the Andes Mountains. Since we have to fly into an international airport with live ‘cargo’, Sao Paulo is the closest airport that can be used, and it ends up not saving time since the drive from there still takes days.

The journey by truck will take 4-5 days, and is almost the same distance as Lady’s rescue, and just a little longer than Rana and Mara’s.

Why does it take so long to rescue elephants?

Many rescues around the world take 5-10 years or longer, if they ever happen at all. Most organizations don’t discuss them publicly until they are very close to the rescue date. There are many opportunities for things to go wrong along the way. In the interest of transparency, we share details about rescues far in advance, offering an understanding of what it really takes to rescue an elephant. And as most of our followers have seen, it is quite the process.