Children's Book about the Lives of Elephants at a Sanctuary in Tennessee to be Released by Tilbury House on November 15.

HOHENWALD, Tenn. -- Just for Elephants, a children's book by Carol Buckley detailing the everyday life of elephants on a 2,700 acre sanctuary in Tennessee, is scheduled to be released by Tilbury House on November 15.

On the heels of her award-winning book Travels with Tarra, which detailed the raising of and traveling with an elephant, Buckley has written a book that describes what everyday life is like for the many elephants that live at The Elephant Sanctuary located near the small town of Hohenwald, Tennessee.

Just for Elephants explains why elephants come to The Sanctuary, and what their everyday life is like here. Some are like Shirley, who performed in a circus before an injury forced early retirement and a transfer to a zoo. She lived at the zoo for many years and received good care, but she didn't have elephant friends. Then plans were made for Shirley to move to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, a place just for elephants. It was a big surprise to everyone when Shirley recognized another elephant when she arrivedCothey greeted each other with great excitement and joy and lots of trumpeting. Jenny had been a baby elephant at the circus where Shirley had worked so long ago. (Elephants do remember!) Shirley and Jenny spent that first night standing close, with their trunks wrapped around each other. And in the morning, Jenny led Shirley outside to explore the fields, ponds, and woods, and meet all the other elephants. Now Shirley has a special family in a place just for elephants.

This wonderful relationship between Jenny and Shirley, featured in the award winning documentary The Urban Elephant and documented in Just for Elephants, was forced to resume on a higher level when on October 17, 2006 Jenny passed away after a long illness. Shirley is grieving Jenny's death along with Bunny, Tarra, Sissy, Winkie, and Delhi-Jenny's elephant family.

"This amazing book reveals the complexity and intelligence of elephants. Jenny and Shirley's story shows us the strength of the bonds between individual elephants, their amazing memories, and their ability to feel and express intense emotions. From studies of wild, free-living elephants we know enough about their social needs to realize that we can no longer justify the practice of keeping elephants on their own or splitting up individuals who have formed bonds. I hope the example of Jenny and Shirley will make people stop and think before capturing elephants in the wild, wrenching them from their close companions, and then moving them here and there as if they were artwork on display." CoCynthia Moss, Amboseli Trust for Elephants, Langata, Nairobi

Just for Elephants is available online through The Elephant Sanctuary's gift shop, http://www.elephants.com/estore/ with all proceeds benefiting the Sanctuary.

Carol Buckley is the author of Travels with Tarra, which tells the story of her life with one elephant and her decision to co-found The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee with Scott Blais.

Founded in 1995, The Elephant Sanctuary is the nation's largest natural-habitat refuge developed specifically to meet the needs of endangered African and Asian elephants. Located on more than 2700 acres in Lewis County, it provides three separate and protected natural habitat environments for old, sick, or needy elephants who have been retired from zoos and circuses. Sanctuary elephants do not perform or entertain for the public; instead, they are encouraged to live like elephants. The Elephant Sanctuary is not open to the public, but the daily lives of its eighteen residents can be observed daily through the Sanctuary's 'elecam' featuring live streaming video http://www.tappedintoelephants.com/asp/index.php.

Education about the crisis facing captive and wild elephants is an important part of the mission of The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. The Elephant Sanctuary is a non-profit organization, licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. For more information about The Elephant Sanctuary, please visit www.elephants.com.