ASCHAE’s DogBlog

Source: CBSNews, June 6, 2009

Bella, a rescued dog, and Tara, an elephant, are living out their lives together on 2,700 acres of natural habitat refuge designed for endangered African and Asian elephants, CBS News reported.

Bella, a rescued dog, and Tara, an elephant, are living out their lives together on 2,700 acres of natural habitat refuge designed for endangered African and Asian elephants, CBS News reported.

While most of the elephants living at the Elephant Sanctuary outside of Nashville choose elephant partners, Tara opted for Bella instead.

“They drink together, they sleep together, they play together,” said Elephant Sanctuary Director Carol Buckley.

The pair has formed such a tight bond, that the dog lets the elephant rub her belly with her huge elephant foot, Buckley says. When Bella got sick last year and was forced to live in the sanctuary office while she recovered, Tara waited outside the office gate. She stayed there every day for two weeks until a program director finally brought the dog out to see her.

The story seemed like a Disney movie to a lot of people, including people at Disney, CBS News reported. Disney called Buckley to pitch a live action movie with Tara and Bella, but Buckley said no.

“When that piece aired, we were just bombarded with offers,” said Buckley. “Books, movies, any number of things. But we don’t want them to be in that environment where they are dominated and trained for people.”

The elephants at the Elephant Sanctuary come from zoos and circuses, CBS News reported. Many have been forced to live in small, confined areas and are sick when they arrive. The Elephant Sanctuary allows them a place to recover and to live out the rest of their lives in their natural habitat.