Center for Elephant Conservation

The Center for Elephant Conservation in Polk City, Florida, was a sprawling 200-acre private facility once home to the largest herd of Asian elephants in the Western Hemisphere. Established by Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, its primary mission was the retirement, reproduction, and scientific study of endangered Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). It focused on robust breeding programs and veterinary research to contribute to species preservation, with more than 25 calves born at the center by 2013. While not a public attraction, it played a significant, albeit controversial, role in the history of elephant conservation efforts tied to the circus industry. The facility provided extensive space for its elephant residents, described by some as a largely undisturbed natural habitat allowing elephants to graze and roam. Care included daily socialization, outdoor time, and a specialized diet of hay, fruits, and vegetables. Researchers conducted studies on elephant physiology, reproduction, and endocrinology, contributing to the understanding of Asian elephant health and well-being. However, the Center for Elephant Conservation is no longer operational in this capacity. In 2020, Feld Entertainment sold its elephant herd and the Polk City facility to White Oak Conservation. Most of the elephants have since been relocated to a new, larger sanctuary in Yulee, Florida, marking the end of the Center for Elephant Conservation's role as a primary home for Ringling Bros. elephants. The original site now serves primarily as a temporary holding area for a small number of medically needy or elderly elephants not relocated, and no longer conducts elephant breeding activities. The website http://www.elephantcenter.com, mentioned in the prompt, currently leads to an organization called Elephant Neighbors Centre, which is located in Kenya and is unrelated to the former Florida facility. Wondering what that bird or insect is? Find out on your visit using the Snappit nature app.