The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee in Hohenwald, Tennessee, is a non-profit organization licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), and a member of the Association of Zoos (AZA). Founded in 1995, The Sanctuary has provided a home to 28 elephants, all retired from zoos and circuses. The Elephant Sanctuary provides these elephants with a natural habitat, individualized care for life, and the opportunity to live out their lives in a safe haven dedicated to their well being. The elephant habitats are not open to the public. At over , the sanctuary consists of three separate and protected, natural habitat environments for Asian and African elephants; a Asian facility, a quarantine area and a African habitat. The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee has a four-star rating from Charity Navigator. History In 1995, Carol Buckley purchased a 113 acre parcel of land in Lewis County, Tennessee, and built a barn to retire her elephant Tarra. Shortly after The Elephant Sanctuary(TES) was established and acquired their non profit status. In 1999 the property was purchased from Buckley by the non profit organization. Buckley was the guarantor for the loan for second barn added in 1999 at which time 4 elephants had been rescued and living with Tarra. In 2001, a section of land with a lake was acquired. Another were purchased and the sanctuary expanded to in 2003. Again Buckley was the guarantor for the loan. The first two African elephants were accepted for the new African habitat in 2004. The existing herd of Asian elephants, now numbering 7, was relocated to a new habitat to accommodate eight incoming elephants who needed to be quarantined in 2005. This new area includes a barn and hay barn which is able to hold up to 35,000 bales of hay. Facilities The development of the Sanctuary was done in several stages. It was originally built in phases and then expanded whenever funding was available or the elephants needed more space or accommodation. Twenty miles of double fencing encloses The Elephant Sanctuary's . Heated barns located in the Asia, Africa, and Quarantine Habitats offer additional warmth during the cooler winter months. The Asia and Africa barn designed were conceptualized by co-founders Carol Buckley and Scott Blais and were constructed using Leadership in Environmental and Energy design plans. The facilities have many features that protect the environment and reduce their carbon