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This weekend marked the one-year anniversary of the arrival of Mundi the elephant at Elephant Refuge North America. Originally born in Zimbabwe, Mundi was orphaned at an early age after her family was killed in state culling. She was then transported to the Juan A. Rivero Zoo in Puerto Rico, where she would spend much of her adult life in solitude, in a very small enclosure.

The zoo would ultimately close after being struck by Hurricane Maria in 2017, and would lose its license in 2018 due to multiple counts of animal neglect.

Mundi was rescued by Elephant Aid International last May, despite much protest and pushback from locals opposed to the zoo’s closing. She arrived safely in Attapulgus after being flown into Jacksonville, and an all-day cross-state road trip. She would spend the first few days at the sanctuary separated from Bo and Tarra, allowing the trio to get acquainted with each other. She was released into the main habitat with the others shortly thereafter, with the three becoming close herd-mates ever since.

“Mundi has made the transition to a life of autonomy, physical freedom, and family seamlessly,” said sanctuary founder Carol Buckley in an interview. “We are so proud of her.”

Those looking to donate to Mundi’s care or volunteer to help at the sanctuary can do so at https://elephantaidinternational.org/