An elephant rescued after 35 years of captivity now lives in a friendly sanctuary

A 41-year-old female African savannah elephant named Mundi has spent most of her life as a captive. Mundi was orphaned, became a captive, and sold into the entertainment industry. She came to the United States with a group of 63 young elephants on a mission to save them carried by entrepreneur Arthur Jones. For two years, he kept them in the Jumbo Lair estate in Ocala, Florida. At this time, Mundi also ended with a blind eye and a damaged tusk, after she got into a fight with another elephant, reported the Modern Met. After the first six years of her life, Mundi was taken to Mayaguez Zoo — also known as the Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo — in Puerto Rico, reported PEOPLE. 

Mundi's life took a turn for the better in 2018 when the U.S. Department of Agriculture pulled the plug on the zoo's exhibitor license as it had committed multiple violations. The zoo permanently shut down in February. In March, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Puerto Rico Department of Environment and Natural Resources decided and declared to house "approximately 500 animals" that stayed at the zoo 'in facilities that are equipped and prepared to humanely and appropriately house and care for the animals."

Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA) then decided to take Mundi to its sanctuary in Attapugus, Georgia. World Animal Protection with the Wild Animal Sanctuary and Elephant Aid International aided Mundi's safe transportation from Puerto Rico to Georgia. "We are thrilled that Mundi will be coming to live at Elephant Refuge North America and are grateful to World Animal Protection for joining us in her rescue. Mundi has suffered in captivity her entire life, and we look forward to caring for her and giving her the life she deserves," Carol Buckley, Elephant Aid International's founder, president, and CEO, said in a statement, according to PEOPLE.

World Animal Protection and Mundi's other rescuers hope the elephant's story inspires others to keep animals out of the entertainment industry. "World Animal Protection is proud to partner with Elephant Aid International to bring Mundi to her new home at Elephant Rescue North America, where she now has the freedom to roam in a natural environment. We're thrilled for Mundi, but there are still thousands of wild animals used for entertainment, and we'll continue to fight until every animal is free from exploitation," Lindsay Oliver, the executive director of World Animal Protection U.S., said.

Mundi came to the sanctuary on May 12. Now, she has adjusted to her new home. She has also met the other elephants at the sanctuary. Once she is acclimated completely to her new surrounding she will have access to the greenery, lakes, and even outdoor time.