In May 2023, Bo and Tarra welcomed new roommate Mundi to her new home border.

Mundi is a wild born African savannah This introduction is a delicate situation.

That's because Mundy hasn't seen another elephant in more than three decades.

Okay, so this is.

Hello, How are you?

African.

I got my head up here.

I'm going to touch you and what Tarra's doing, is a little trunk touch, so just barely touching trunks.

That's a really, really good sign.

That is Carol Buckley.

She created and runs Elephant Refuge North America in Attapulgus Georgia.

After working with elephants for 40 years.

Buckley created the refuge to give formerly captive animals a way to live like the wild animals they are.

But what most people don't see is the psychological damage.

And we have to heal that in order for the body to heal.

So if you only are focusing on the body, if you're only doing vet care and you're not dealing with the psychological, you are not going to heal that, help that elephant to heal.

But you put them in an environment where they feel safe, where they have friends, where they're happy and they’re playing, What is that doing?

It's creating endorphins.

It's doing the healing process.

So internally in their mind and in their heart, then they start to heal.

And then the body can heal.

Mundi’s life before the refuge hasn't been easy.

Transported to the United States, along with 62 Juan A Rivera Zoo of Puerto Rico, the zoo and the Puerto Rican people loved Mundi, but she spent 35 years in an area of 15,000 square feet, just over a quarter acre of land.

And she spent it all alone.

But that demonstrates that you never lose the wild of this animal.

who they are.

You just inhibit their natural behavior When the zoo's.

Poor conditions forced it to close.

8,000 pound middle aged elephant is not easy, It took years for the arrangements to be made.

But they're always wild.

She always has the elephants sense, and she always has that drive.

She may not know how to really correctly act around other elephants, but she can learn because they're so smart.

And Bo will teach her.

they had to get to know each other with a fence in between them.

And Tarra was over there too, and Mundi went over to him for 45 minutes.

As I sat here, she played.

which is get on your wrist, put your face, put your face in the ground, That's all play behavior for African elephants.

Soon the elephants didn't need the fence anymore.

They spent time with 850 acres of forest pastures, creeks and ponds to play and wander.

They feel all the vibration and energy that comes into their area, which is one of the reasons we're not open to the public, because I can't control people's energy.

Although the refuge is not open to the public, there are web cameras that capture the moments between the animals called Elle cams.

They provide a peaceful way to observe the elephants in their new home.

Just what we want is for her to come here and be with Tarra or Bo and feel safe.

The elephants are not the only animals to make use of the refuge.

Mundi, Bo, and Tarra, are joined by canine friends such as Sammy, who can be seen playing outdoors together on the Elle cams.

For more information and elephant updates, visit Elephant Aid International.org For WFSU Public Media, I'm Tabitha Weinstein.