His story:
Elberto the elderly elephant just turned 96 years old. He has had a tragic life like many elephants. His story is sad, but perhaps we can learn from it. As a youngster, he was happy, traveling with his mother, sisters and other relatives, grazing, bathing, playing, loving. The next part of the story is hard to hear. He was ripped from his herd in the night.

"It was confusing, I woke up in a strange place with bars. I saw fire in hoops and oddness all around."

While the circus brought me joy as a child, they are sad places for the Elbertos of the world. His mother and his cousin Lulu, a baby, were also brought to the circus with him, thankfully, and they lived long lives of service and entertaining the masses. But they both died before Elberto.

Elberto yearned to be in nature again so one night, with the help of a monkey, he escaped. He took his circus ball - it oddly gave him comfort - and two photographs - and he left the Big Top forever. He lived in a forest for weeks until he met a mouse who brought him peanuts. They rigged up a small trailer and that is how he arrived here, looking for a place to settle.

I told him he can stay as long as he likes until someone adopts him. But if they don't, he will live here.

Details:
Elberto and his little home are available for adoption fee of $595.00 + s/h. Elberto is about 5" x 11". His house is 16" x 13" and is painted on both sides. Acrylic on cardboard, protective varnish. Cotton, vintage cloth adorns the top and is sewn on to the back. [Elberto loves feminine touches, I've found]. He is made of recycled socks, stuffed with bamboo stuffing and a dash of Apifera lavender bud. Then he is needle felted and cotton scrap is added to his lovely face. His pants are felt. He sits on a felted ball which is attached to a wood platform. His body has several small tiny nails to hold him to his ball which is styrofoam under the felt- it can be adjusted if the comes off in shipping.]

He keeps a picture of his mother, and Lulu, on the wall and a cupboard of peanuts just in case he has visitors. But he's old, not too many people stop in, he says. His suitcase is packed, just in case he has to flee again. An elephant never forgets.