ATTAPULGUS, Ga. (WTXL) — It’s a big day for South Georgia. Bo, a 10,000-pound elephant moved into his new home thanks to Elephant Aid International.
"To have Bo come, I would have never imagined," said Carol Buckley who is the President and CEO of Elephant Aid International.
Bo is the first elephant to step foot on these 850-acres filled with trees and tall grass. It's also the only elephant refuge in South Georgia.
"To feel comfortable enough to just wander off, when his people are standing right here, that's a good sign."
Elephant Aid International prides itself on giving a good home to elephants such as Bo. As you can imagine, it's been a long journey for everyone here at the Georgia Refuge.
"It's actually been a five-year process. So we bought the property in December of 2016 and of course, the goal was to build it so that elephants could come here."
Five Years. Emotions, running high. Waiting for this one moment. A lifetime gift volunteer Julie Forbes said she can't believe is finally here.
"I didn't know if I was gonna be able to see him because I'm up in North Carolina but I got to come back down here, what a gift."
George Carden is the person giving Bo a new life. He's the owner of George Carden Circus and spent many years with Bo traveling the world.
Carden loves Bo as if he were family. So you can imagine how tough it was for him to pull up in a massive trailer with his 10,000-pound friend -- only to say goodbye.
"I never asked for a dollar to bring him here. I never asked her for my men to bring them here and come with me. So, it was all about Bo and Carol."
Bo brought thousands of smiles to children traveling with the circus. Now, the largest land mammal in all of Asia gets his first home and a happy ending.
The refuge is looking for donations and volunteers to help Bo. To learn more about the opportunity, you can visit Elephant Aid International's website.
