RIP Ned

The death of a gentle elephant who spent most of his life in a circus is a crucial reminder that sometimes, the show must not go on

In November of last year, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confiscated a bull Asian elephant named Ned from a circus trainer who broke laws created by the Animal Welfare Act of 1966. It was only the second time that the USDA confiscated a mistreated elephant.

At the time, he was emaciated and in horrible shape. He spent most of his 21-year-old life in captivity.

Thanks to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, Ned was able to enjoy his final months, freely using the sanctuary's massive 2,700-acre space.

He passed away on May 15 in the company of one his caregivers. According to an Elephant Sanctuary statement, Ned passed "without a struggle, just two deep breaths and a sigh and then he was gone."

"Ned was fed a much more nutritious diet than the one he had previously received, eating pumpkins, broccoli, corn, oatmeal, fresh hay, and other foods that he enjoyed," according to a Care2 story. "He spent time exploring his luxurious green surroundings, foraging in the woods, eating hickory branches and newly sprouted grasses, and playing with his favorite toy, a hanging tire swing."

In Buddhist thought, the "Precious Elephant" symbolizes the calm and noble strength of one who is on the path towards enlightenment. It is one of the "Seven Jewels of Royal Power."

What would happen to the cruel and inhumane circus elephant trade if the millions of circus-goers around the world took the Precious Elephant's path?

GET INVOLVED

• Find out three ways to honor Ned's memory
• Support the Performing Animals Welfare Society (PAWS) Save the Bulls program
  
• Sign the Voice for Animals petition to free Lucky the elephant from the San Antonio Zoo and send her to the Elephant Sanctuary

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• Remembering Buddha's Precious Pachyderm (February 26, 2009)
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• Getting Close to the Elephants of Samburu (August 19, 2008)
• Elephant Extinction Possible by 2020 (August 3, 2008)
• Future Uncertain for Thailand's Elephants (July 31, 2008)
• Listening to the Secret Lives of Elephants (July 5, 2008)
  
• South Africa to Start Elephant Culling (May 5, 2008)
• African Conservation Gets $10 Million Gift (May 1, 2008)

image: PAWS