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A young elephant makes its way through the remains of an old citrus farm near Fellsmere, Fla., Sept. 4, 2013.
Four African elephants are now living on 200 acres in the heart of Florida's citrus grove region in the newly opened National Elephant Center.
The center is open to two categories of the mammoth mammals: those sent for a limited stay by zoos that need to temporarily free up space for renovations or breeding; and elephants that need a permanent home when their previous institutional or private owners can no longer care for them.
Officials at the center, quickly learned the elephants ate oranges from the old trees, eating up to 300 a day.
J. Pat Carter/AP
Jeff Bolling, the CEO of the National Elephant Center near Fellsmere, Fla., checks one of the four African elephants living on 200 acres in the heart of Florida's citrus grove region.
The elephants are on loan from Disney. The land is leased from a private citrus grove at $1 per year.
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Jeff Bolling, the CEO of the National Elephant Center near Fellsmere, Fla., checks the tusks of one of the four African elephants.
There are estimates that 10 percent of the entire African elephant population was poached for ivory last year.
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One of the four African elephants living at the newly opened National Elephant Center peers out of a fenced enclosure.
The primary goal of the center is to support the individual welfare and long-term sustaninablity of elephants, which are on the endangered species list.
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An elephant roams a 25-acre compound at the National Elephant Center near Fellsmere, Fla.
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Scott Krus, left, and Mike Tanton, work with a young elephant at the National Elephant Center.
Officials hope to build a total of five barns to eventually house a dozen elephants.
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One of the four African elephants living at the newly opened National Elephant Center peers out from a fenced enclosure.
J. Pat Carter/AP
A gift shop in downtown Fellsmere, Fla., sells bracelets that help to support the National Elephant Center.
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One of the four African elephants living in the heart of Florida's citrus grove region at the National Elephant Center, displays a tusk as it stands behind a fenced enclosure.
J. Pat Carter/AP
The National Elephant Center's executive director, John Lehnhardt says the climate in central Florida near Fellsmere is perfect for elephants.
"This is my retirement giveback to elephants, they have been very kind to me for over 37 years."
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The National Elephant Center's executive director, John Lehnhardt.
J. Pat Carter/AP
There are four African elephants living on 200 acres in the heart of Florida's citrus grove region in the newly opened National Elephant Center in Fellsmere, Fla. The center is the only one operated by the U.S. zoo community to house displaced elephants.
