http://www.elephants.com/Ned/ned_diary.htm

November 11, 2008

9am - Ned is continuing to sample all the different types of hay we have to offer: Bermuda, millet, and a timothy and grass hay mix. Even though he is not eating the volume of hay that we would hope, he is still showing a reasonable interest in eating.

12:15pm - Ned went outside, less fearful of leaving his barn. He explored a bit more and rubbed his head on a tree branch. He then saw Billie Sue up in the hill playing in the trees and with that, Ned had to head back to the security of his barn. He has come out of the barn a couple of time since and seems to be fairly comfortable.
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November 10, 2008

10pm - Ned was rather sleepy this evening; dozing standing up, his eye lids fluttering and his trunk draped over the top rail of his inside corral. He did not eat as well today as he had yesterday but hopefully it is just a matter of him settling into a routine. Perhaps what he needs is a good night sleep so that tomorrow he can focus on the joy of eating.

2:30 - Ned went outside to explore his surroundings, but he was incredibly insecure. It was painful to watch him struggle to find the confidence to even walk out of the gate into the larger enclosure. Once out in the yard he kept looking back towards the barn with a concerned look on his face. We gave him some of his favorite foods and walked with him around the perimeter of the yard. At one point he saw Miss Billie in the distance and froze, lifted his head and then glanced over at Scott standing a few feet from him. Ned headed back towards the barn, stopping to eat the grain and produce Scott had left for him, before heading back to the security of his private suite. It is painful to watch how insecure Ned is. Instead of being on the top of the world, a male elephant in all his glory, he struggles to find the confidence to enjoy a simple walk around the yard. We know that with time and caring Ned will develop trust and self confidence and fully recover from his past trauma.

1pm - Dr. Scott examined Ned today before he went into his new yard. One of the entries in the report was a notation on body condition. Using a scale from 1 to 10, Ned was a 2. Not a good rating but we were not surprised; Ned has nowhere to go but up!

Ned devoured the fresh cut bamboo and assorted fruit left for him last night. He had decorated his barn with the most interesting piles of fluffed up hay. He appeared well rested and curious this am, ready for his breakfast and a fresh pile of hay. When it came time to close the steel gate for cleaning, Ned was much less concerned compared to last night. He was leery, but continued to munch on his produce as the gate closed. It is a sunny day and the temperature is climbing rapidly so hopefully Ned will be going outside this morning.
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November 9, 2008

10pm
Ned showed his first signs of fear tonight when the gate dividing his two stalls was closed for cleaning. Even though his caregiver tried to warn him against this new sound, he jumped and spun; you could see the concern on his face. The gate was stopped and started several times, giving Ned a chance to get used to the sound. Each time the gate moved a few more inches, Ned showed less fear. The gate noise was quickly forgotten when he got a new treat, bamboo. He walked across the barn to see what had been placed on the floor for him. After taking a tentative sniff, he grasped one stick of bamboo and pulled it through the bars and proceeded to stuff it into his mouth. Watermelon is now a familiar treat, but he did not eat his immediately; he waited until all of his grain was gone and then he struggled to pick up the slick, hard-to-grasp fruit. Finally succeeding he plopped it into his mouth and chomped down, juice flowed from his mouth onto the floor along with more than half of the broken watermelon. It did not take long for him to gather up the fallen pieces, finishing off the whole thing in seconds.

5:30
Ned is now interested in any foods we provide. For dinner he ate his fresh mixed grain with molasses, assorted vegetables and more hay. He does the cutest thing, fluffs the hay up, sort of lifts it and whips it over and over until it is a fluffy pile. Then he pushes it a little to one side, out of the way, where it won’t get soiled. Smart boy. He also places one trunkful of hay at the roof of his mouth as he chews another, always a trunkful stored ready to be eaten.

5pm
Today Ned discovered what all of his sister before him have…pasture pals are full of great treats and they are fun to step on. Indeed, they are durable, but nothing stands up to the one foot crunch of the mighty Ned…two pasture pals flattened and I’m sure there will be many more. Anything to make the new comer feel at home!

12:30pm - Ned’s trailer pulled into the Sanctuary followed by a vehicle with many of the dedicated professionals who made his rescue possible. The trailer parked parallel to the barn in preparation for Ned’s unloading. The double side-doors were folded back against the body of the trailer, the inner gate opened, and then the safety bars were slid out one at a time; one, two, three, and Ned was free to leave. Within seconds, graceful as a swan, Ned emerged from the back of the trailer, cautious yet curious. He stood in the doorway, strikingly beautiful, looking a bit fragile and hauntingly thin. But there is something about Ned that suggests an inner strength. He took a few moments to access his new surroundings and then casually stepped from the trailer and walked directly into the barn. He is 9’6” tall, all legs, and weighs a mere 7500 pounds; easily a ton underweight. His protruding shoulder blades, spine and hip bones make him appear too vulnerable; you can easily count each of his ribs from 20 feet away. Mild tempered and attentive, he does notice everything around him. Once inside the barn Ned immediately started eating the grass hay placed in front of him and as of this writing, 3 hours later, he is still calmly shoveling hay into his mouth, content as can be.

7am – Ned slept comfortably. For breakfast he ate a few apples and carrots, a small amount of grain, and he drank reasonably well... He is a very quiet boy, not a rumble or a chirp out of him. He appears very calm, unconcerned but disconnected. He continues to eat his hay in a methodical manner

8am – Ned’s hay was refreshed and they are on their way

8:30am – Ned has crossed into Tennessee; he and his entourage are now in TWRA country, a comfortable place for all of us.

10am – stopped to refresh Ned’s hay and offer him more water. He stared munching on the hay immediately but he had no interest in the water. He ate a few carrots but showed no interest in the apples.

10:20am – they are on the road again

Update ETA – 12:30pm CT

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November 8, 2008
The operation to confiscate Ned the elephants was executed by the United States Department of Agriculture and involved several professionals recruited for their expertise in veterinary medicine, elephant behavior and management, and elephant transport. Ned was placed under strict security by the department the moment the confiscation notice was served.

Ned is very compact from head to tail but quite tall and exceedingly thin. He appears to have some paralysis in his trunk and so far he has made no vocalizations.

10:00am - Ned loaded into our elephant trailer without incident. He was calm and cooperative. Once he was comfortably in the trailer the vet drew blood from a vein in his back leg. Ned remained calm throughout the procedure. The blood will be processed to determine his condition, including blood levels and tuberculosis status. Ned has never tested positive for TB but blood tests will confirm if he is indeed TB free.

10:30am – Ned’s supply of hay was refreshed and the trailer pulled out onto the highway

12:10pm – They stopped the trailer to check on Ned. He was doing well, eating slow but constant. Scott signed the paperwork provided by the USDA which transferred ownership of Ned to the Sanctuary. He is now officially a free bull!

2:30pm – Stopped at the Florida State Agriculture check in station. Once the paperwork was reviewed the trailer was directed back onto the highway. Ned remained calm and silent.

3pm – crossed the state line into Georgia

4pm – stopped for a short break. Ned continued to eat his hay. He was not interested in a drink of water but dunked his hay into the water before eating it. He was not interested in any of the produce offered, fiddled with it and then pushed the produce to the side but did eat a small amount of grain. He does not appear to have a very strong appetite. He is defecating and urinating normally.

6:30pm - stopped for another short break. Ned is a quiet, easy traveler and a very quiet boy. It is kind of sad that he shows so little interest in anything or anyone. Even the classic elephant trunk scent, a natural behavior that traditional is extinguished from performing elephants, is not present; not even a hint of desire to scent his surroundings. He was offered hay, grain, some carrots and apples but he still somewhat ignores the produce. Still steadily eating hay.

7:30pm – stopped to clean and feed. Ned was not interested in drinking. The decision was made to leave a container of water in the trailer with him so that Ned could drink through the night if he got thirsty.

10pm – Just North of Atlanta Ned is stopping for the night. Scott called with great news…Ned is drinking. We do not know what his drinking schedule has been in the past so perhaps only drinking once a day is what Ned is accustomed to. We are just relieved that he finally drank his fill. Fresh hay, a cozy warm trailer, and a quiet parking place will allow Ned to rest for several hours. They plan to head out first thing in the morning. The estimated time of arrival to the Sanctuary is tomorrow at noon.

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