arniejolt
06-06-2009, 06:14 PM
You're going to put on your 'daww!' face after reading this. Don't deny it.
It's the last thing you'd expect to see emerging from the woods of Tennessee - the last two things actually. Which is why CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman knew the story of Bella and Tarra would be big. He just had no idea how big.
"Tarra and Bella have agents now?" Hartman asked.
"It's all your fault," said Scott Blais, a cofounder of the elephant sanctuary.
"It is all your fault," agreed Carol Buckley, the other cofounder.
Buckley and Blais run The Elephant Sanctuary outside of Nashville.
"When that piece aired we were just bombarded with offers," Buckley said. "Books, movies, any number of things."
If you saw the original story, you know how elephants come here from zoos and circuses one by one - but stay here two by two.
"Every elephant that comes here searches out someone that she then spends most of her time with," Buckley said.
Of course, it's always another elephant, with the notable exception of Tarra and a stray dog, who just wandered on the property, named Bella.
"They drink together, they keep together, they play together," Buckley said.
And stay together - no matter what. When Bella got sick last year and had to live in the sanctuary office, guess who stood vigil? For three weeks, Tarra waited there.
"She was concerned about her friend," Buckley said.
"We had no choice but to bring Bella down to see Tarra," Blais said.
The pair showed such devotion, such tenderness and trust, it was almost hard to believe. The whole story seemed like a Disney movie to a lot of people - including people at Disney.
You can read the rest at CBSnews.com, along with view the two news articles about it there:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/05/assignment_america/main5066848.shtml
It's the last thing you'd expect to see emerging from the woods of Tennessee - the last two things actually. Which is why CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman knew the story of Bella and Tarra would be big. He just had no idea how big.
"Tarra and Bella have agents now?" Hartman asked.
"It's all your fault," said Scott Blais, a cofounder of the elephant sanctuary.
"It is all your fault," agreed Carol Buckley, the other cofounder.
Buckley and Blais run The Elephant Sanctuary outside of Nashville.
"When that piece aired we were just bombarded with offers," Buckley said. "Books, movies, any number of things."
If you saw the original story, you know how elephants come here from zoos and circuses one by one - but stay here two by two.
"Every elephant that comes here searches out someone that she then spends most of her time with," Buckley said.
Of course, it's always another elephant, with the notable exception of Tarra and a stray dog, who just wandered on the property, named Bella.
"They drink together, they keep together, they play together," Buckley said.
And stay together - no matter what. When Bella got sick last year and had to live in the sanctuary office, guess who stood vigil? For three weeks, Tarra waited there.
"She was concerned about her friend," Buckley said.
"We had no choice but to bring Bella down to see Tarra," Blais said.
The pair showed such devotion, such tenderness and trust, it was almost hard to believe. The whole story seemed like a Disney movie to a lot of people - including people at Disney.
You can read the rest at CBSnews.com, along with view the two news articles about it there:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/05/assignment_america/main5066848.shtml
