Safety and Comfort In A Pristine Wilderness
In designing and implementing the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Center for Elephant Conservation, there were several important concerns. First and foremost, of course, was the comfort of the Asian elephants: There needed to be plenty of food, water, shade, places to sleep, and areas where the animals could be groomed regularly. The safety of all animals and humans working 24 hours a day at the Center was paramount. There also needed to be room for future expansion.

With funding for the $5-million CEC provided exclusively by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, planning for the site began in November 1994, and construction was completed in June 1995.

There are five outside paddock areas, all of which include structures to provide shade and constant access to drinking water. Via an intricate system of 37 gates and walkways, each paddock can be accessed from any other one without animals having to exit secured areas.

There are also four principal animal buildings: a 17,000-square-foot main barn that includes birthing facilities with 24-hour-a-day audio and video monitoring systems and automated animal waste removal system (the building also contains an elevated office/lab/observation room, a feed storage room, and two workshop areas); two 3,100-square-foot male elephant barns; and a 4,900-square-foot double male elephant barn.

Other facilities include a 2,400-square-foot hay barn (which contains a refrigerated vegetable storage area) and caretaker homes (personnel are on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week).

The food supply at the CEC is considerable: The elephants at the CEC consume about 2.5 tons of hay daily! Other food includes 700-800 pounds per day of grain, fruit, and vegetables, and about 80 gallons of water daily per elephant for drinking and bathing (volume will vary depending on the weather). About one ton of waste is produced daily by the elephants at the CEC; it is trucked from the site, composted, and recycled as organic fertilizer.

The CEC is located on 200 acres of pristine wilderness in central Florida, between Tampa and Orlando. The facilities are sensitive to the environment, and therefore utilize good drainage and water-saving devices. No trees were felled and no wetlands disturbed to build the CEC. The unspoiled site is also home to egrets, raccoons, snakes, wild turkeys, and many other native species. The CEC meets or exceeds all environmental requirements and regulations for housing elephants