North America’s second oldest elephant dies in Tenn. at 72
Shirley loved jelly beans.
For the people who cared for Shirley, there was a rule. Do not give Shirley the licorice-flavored jelly beans. All other jelly beans were fine. She hated licorice.
The oldest resident at The Elephant Sanctuary of Tennessee required the licorice jelly beans be plucked out of the batches that were given to her.
Shirley, forced to perform as a circus elephant, survived broken bones, foot disease, a highway accident, a political uprising, seeing her friends die and decades of loneliness.
She, too, was a movie star, once the subject of the documentary film “The Urban Elephant: Shirley's Story.” When your name is in the movie title, you earn the right to choose your jelly beans.
Shirley died on Monday at the age of 72 in the sanctuary she had called home for the last 21 years.
She was the second-oldest elephant in North America.
She laid down for the last time surrounded by people who had cared for her for years.
“The Sanctuary is deeply honored to have provided care for Shirley for 21 years,” said Janice Zeitlin, CEO of The Elephant Sanctuary. “We thank Shirley's many supporters, fans, and friends who have shared her story, who have loved her from afar, and who have partnered with us through the years to provide lifetime care and the opportunity for Shirley to know true companionship with other elephants.
“We learned so much about the dignity and grace of elephants aging in captivity through caring for Shirley, and we will continue to apply this knowledge to help care for all current and future residents. Shirley leaves an enduring legacy marked by a truly remarkable life, and she will be deeply missed by all.”
She was born in 1948 in Sumatra, and lived a nightmarish existence for many years.
Captured and sold to a traveling circus, Shirley was forced to perform for more than 20 years.
Shirley was a survivor. Once, she was captured by the forces of Fidel Castro. Once, she survived a highway accident in which two other elephants died. Once, she was on a circus ship that caught fire and nearly sank. Shirley was burned badly and lost part of her ear in the fire.
It wasn't until she broke her leg in 1974 that Shirley started to slow down. Unable to continue performing in the circus, Shirley was sold to the Louisiana Purchase Zoo and Garden, where she was kept without any other elephants for 22 years.
In 1999, she arrived at The Elephant Sanctuary with her longtime caretaker Solomon James.
What Shirley didn't know, as she arrived in Tennessee, was that her sanctuary companion would be Jenny, an elephant she had performed with in the circus 24 years earlier.
The loud and joyous reunion between Shirley and Jenny is still the stuff of legend at the sanctuary.
The two were inseparable until Jenny died in 2006.
Shirley had other friends — Tarra, Sissy, Winkie and Misty — and she became the matriarch of the herd.
As she grew older, Shirley got regular foot soaks, arthritis supplements, anti-inflammatory medications and cold laser therapy to ease the pain in her legs. She got regular sunscreen rubdowns. In the last few weeks, knowing that Shirley was slowing down, the staff monitored all her movements with cameras and overnight checks.
On Sunday night, Shirley laid down and never got up.
On Monday morning, the staff knew Shirley was gone.
Sissy came and visited for a few moments, as if to say goodbye.
Then Tarra came.
She laid down next to Shirley's body and spent four hours by her side.