In November, we were contacted by David Jones, of The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN. They were building a new warehouse to store many of the items used in the care and feeding of the Elephants at their sanctuary. The sanctuary was in need of a forklift to load and unload items in the warehouse and had a budget set aside for the purchase.

If you’re not familiar, The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald was founded in 1995. It encompasses 2700 acres of old-growth forest and pasture, springs, ponds, streams and a 25-acre lake on the outskirts of Hohenwald, Tennessee. It is the nation’s largest natural habitat refuge specifically developed to provide a haven for old, sick or needy elephants retired from circuses and zoos. The Elephant Sanctuary provides three separate and protected, natural-habitat environments for Asian and African elephants. Since inception, the Sanctuary has rescued numerous Asian and African elephants living in deprived environments throughout North America.

The sanctuary residents are encouraged to live like elephants in the wild and are not required to perform or entertain for the public. The primary objective of the sanctuary is to provide a spacious and rich natural environment in which the elephants can fully exercise their sensitive, intense, socially gregarious, complex and exceedingly intelligent natures.

The Elephant Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and is accredited by Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, and licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Their operation is dependent upon the donations and gifts of individuals and corporations.

“I was familiar with the sanctuary, but until I started working with David, I didn’t fully understand the magnitude of their operation. I was blown away by their dedication to the care and well being of the elephants and wanted to partner with them in their mission. We worked with David to determine the specifications needed and decided to donate a Nissan forklift to the sanctuary.” said Duane Hardy, President Forklift Systems. The forklift was delivered the week before Christmas to The Elephant Sanctuary.  Santa came early to the sanctuary this year.

If you are interested in learning more about The Elephant Sanctuary visit http://wwww.elephants.com and if you would like to explore donation opportunities be sure and visit their donation page.