Retired Ringling Bros. Circus Elephants Adjusting To New North Florida Habitat

JACKSONVILLE (CBSMiami) - There's nothing unusual about a group of retirees moving into an exclusive gated community in Florida. Except when the retirees are ten-thousand-pound elephants and are famous because they used to perform for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Just south of the Florida-Georgia line in Yulee, the herd of gentle giants, members of the largest Asian elephant herd in the Western Hemisphere, now roams in their lush new habitat at the White Oak Conservation Center.

For White Oak's chief conservationist Michelle Gadd, it's a dream come true.

"A lot of kids have this dream of running away and joining the circus. Well, I was that kid who wanted to run away and let the animals out of the circus," she said.

Elephant attractions were a part of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for most of its 146-year history. But in 2016, the circus retired the act after years of public outcry against what many considered animal cruelty

But their retirement wasn't perfect. They were moved to this small preserve south of Orlando. Last fall, the non-profit White Oak Conservation stepped in and bought the 35 elephants, they then started construction on the habitat.

The elephants moved in this spring, finally able to roam and feed and bond as a herd. Elephants are among the most social and empathetic of all animals and not only are they getting to know their new surroundings, but they are also getting to know each other.

"It's the first time interacting as a herd. They seem to have sorted out a hierarchy amongst themselves. They regrouped right outside the fence and again reassured each other, rumbled, touched each other, put their trunks in one another's mouths," said Gadd.

Nick Newby leads the White Oak elephant project and works with the animals every day. He said because they have been raised and trained and become dependent on humans, sending them into the wild is not an option. But at White Oak, he hopes they can help humans better understand and appreciate this endangered species of which only about 50,000 remain.

"We want people to realize elephants are beautiful just as they are. They don't need to be ridden or trained or do tricks or travel the world. Just let them be where they are and there's nothing more beautiful than that," said Gadd.

While there are possible plans for a viewing area around the habitat, White Oak has not decided whether the elephants will be part of public tours. As for the ones that have not yet been transferred, there is no solid timeline on when that will happen. Their new habitat is still being created and the summer months are too hot for a move.