We discovered an elephant rescue ranch located only about 10 minutes from the RV park. They take visitors only by appointment. So, on a beautiful warm and sunny day we booked a tour to learn all about elephants at the Two Tails Ranch.
Two Tails Ranch
From their website:
Two Tails Ranch was founded in 1984 by Theodore Svertesky (1954-1994) and Patricia Zerbini joined his venture a year later. The ranch started with 10 acres 1 barn and 1 yard. We now have 67 acres, 3 main Barns, 9 yards, 2 male barns, a work shop, refrigerated food storage and are working on our clinic. Since then more than 200 elephants have called Two Tails Ranch home, both Asian and African male and female.
Elephants have been boarded here at the ranch for all different kinds of reasons, some to be retired, some for temporary boarding, elephants needing a place to stay while their own exhibits were being repaired or built, and some for training or medical reasons. The ranch also was successful in breeding with the birth of two Babies Romeo and Juliette in 1990 and 1991.
In 2009, Patricia decided to open the ranch to the public to have educational programs available for both elephant lovers as well as professionals in the elephant field. Having traveled the globe working with elephants on three different continents, she did feel the need to have a facility where people could get up close and personal and get a first hand experience with these wondrous creatures.
Patricia Zerbini was born in Canton, Ohio to Tarzan Jean-Charles and Jacqueline Zerbini. Of Italian and French descendant, she is the ninth generation of the Zerbini Family to work with exotic animals.
The Tour
The ticket prices were $20 for each adult with all proceeds going to fund this private mission. They receive zero government assistance. Their only source of income comes from these tours.
You can also choose to “upgrade” your ticket by having a photo ops, feeding an elephant, or actually riding one. We chose just the basic.
The tour began with two compatible elephants in a large enclosure in front of a covered bleacher section of the visitors. There were maybe 40 people in our group. It was entirely outdoors and the seating was well spaced.
The owner, Patricia, gave a very good speech on the animals and answered many questions for about 30 minutes. Then she had the large male paint a picture and perform a few exercises at her command. They are some smart animals!
The elephant actually painted this in the two photos above!
What I Learned
This is going back a few days ago, but here are a few interesting tidbits:
- Elephants in captivity live much longer than in the wild. Better healthcare, food, and no hunting allowed
- They live to be up to 80 in captivity
- Elephants will be extinct within a few more years. There natural habitats around the globe are being reduced by human expansion and they are still hunted for their ivory. And the animal rights groups had laws passed in the 1970’s to not allow any new elephant imports into most all countries. They cannot be bred here in the US because they are all related.
- The Florida ranch has very similar weather and terrain as their natural habitat in Africa.
- They currently have eight animals
- They eat about 300 pounds of a mixed food diet every day and wash it down with 100 gallons of water.
- It costs $100,000 to feed each elephant per year.
- There is another elephant “refuge” in Tennessee that receives federal funding, but the colder winter temps has been killing the herd. Not good.
- The Ringling Bros Circus is the only circus left that uses elephants.
Trish by the hand feeding of elephants in background. 
They also had a camel and zebra. 
Ring tailed lemur. 
Wrap Up
The best part was the initial talk and viewing. After that the tour resolved into the paid activities like feeding and such. I suppose with a bunch of kids that may have been good. But for the rest of us, it was kind of lame. But, that is how she can afford to take in these rescues and care for them. So, that’s good.
It was a good outing, we learned a lot, and certainly glad that we went. Here is a link to her website for more information. LINK
Take care and God Bless.
Looks like an interesting day with elephants.
Hmm … Sounds interesting, Randy.