Endangered Ark Foundation Welcomes Home Two Elephants After Tragic Accident Rosie and Opal, retired circus elephants on loan to HOPE Elephants in Maine, have safely returned to their home at Oklahoma’s Endangered Ark Foundation after a tragic accident resulting in the accidental death of Dr. Jim Laurita, HOPE’s founder and director. On the morning of September 10, 2014 while Dr. Jim was performing his usual morning routine with the elephants, he reportedly fell in the corral, hitting his head on the cement floor according to the Knox County Sherriff’s Department. Additional injuries were consistent with being stepped on by one of the elephants leading to a ruling of accidental death from asphyxiation by the Maine medical examiner. The devastating news of Dr. Jim’s passing was a shock for all involved. Laurita was a passionate and kind man who loved “the girls” Rosie and Opal, and dedicated his life to wildlife conservation. Jim was also a close personal friend with the Endangered Ark Foundation Board of Directors. “It was, and is, our hope to work closely with HOPE Elephants to continue the work Jim was doing in the care and therapeutic treatments for the girls, as well as in the field. Our close friendship and trust we had in Jim is a fundamental reason we collaborated with HOPE Elephants and will continue to pursue his vision. It is unfortunate the tragedy of his passing has brought us to where we are today.” Jim loved Opal and Rosie, and always referred to them as “his girls”. We, at Endangered Ark Foundation, are glad we were able to step in quickly, so that Jim’s family, fellow staff, volunteers and friends can take the time to grieve before dealing with the decisions of how to move forward. Rosie and Opal arrived at the Endangered Ark Foundation in Hugo, Oklahoma, Monday, September 15, 2014. After being assessed thoroughly by our veterinarian, we are glad to report both elephants are doing well. The elephants were greeted with a healthy snack of fruits and vegetables donated by the local Wal-Mart in Hugo and also by beloved family members in the herd. Through the partnership with HOPE Elephants and the medical records, notes on treatments and individual elephant behaviors provided by HOPE staff, we have been able to quickly prepare for Rosie and Opal’s arrival. Typically, EAF holds public tours every Saturday but will wait until later in the week to assure Rosie and Opal have a smooth transition before deciding if tours will be held this week. The loss of Jim will weigh heavily on all our hearts, but we will honor his memory by taking excellent care of ‘the girls’, continuing the innovative treatments he was developing for their particular medical needs and by utilizing his format in promoting preservation, education and wildlife conservation to keep all aware of the endangered Asian elephants. We will be posting photos and videos of Rosie, Opal and their fellow herd members. Please feel free to tag and share. #EAFwelcomesRosieandOpal
Posted on: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 19:07:04 +0000
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