The Elephant Sanctuary celebrated Asian elephant Shirley's 72nd birthday and 21st year at The Sanctuary on July 6, 2020.

At 72 years old, Shirley, defies all odds as one of the oldest elephants in captivity and has lived well beyond the life expectancy for a captive Asian elephant. Shirley is the oldest elephant at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee and holds the record for the third oldest elephant in North America.

Born in Sumatra in 1948, Shirley was captured from the wild and sold to a traveling circus, entertaining audiences for more than 20 years. In addition to the immense physical and...