By 1980, when Tarra was six years old and a playful pre-adolescent elephant, Buckley taught Tarra to roller skate.
For their first 15 years together, Buckley lived with, cared for, trained, transported and performed with Tarra in circuses and zoos in the US and Canada.

In 1984 Buckley began thinking that the life she and Tarra were living did not meet Tarra's psychological needs, and began to search for a better life for Tarra in a variety of zoos and animal parks where she worked and consulted, but the animal seemed to be bored in confinement.
In the end, Buckley began looking for another option.

In November 1994, Buckley, with a bank loan, bought 112 acres in Hohenwald, Tennessee.
Buckley built a barn for Tarra and co-founded the Elephant Sanctuary (Hohenwald) in Tennessee, the first natural habitat refuge for sick, old and needy elephants.
Today, the Elephant Sanctuary (Hohenwald) is 2,700 acres (1,100 ha), housing African and Asian elephants in three separate sections with four barns, enclosed by 20 miles (32 km) of fencing.
By 1980, when Tarra was six years old and a playful pre-adolescent elephant, Buckley taught Tarra to roller skate. For their first 15 years together, Buckley lived with, cared for, trained, transported and performed with Tarra in circuses and zoos in the US and Canada.
In 1984 Buckley began thinking that the life she and Tarra were living did not meet Tarra's psychological needs, and began to search for a better life for Tarra in a variety of zoos and animal parks where she worked and consulted, but the animal seemed to be bored in confinement. In the end, Buckley began looking for another option.
In November 1994, Buckley, with a bank loan, bought 112 acres in Hohenwald, Tennessee. Buckley built a barn for Tarra and co-founded the Elephant Sanctuary (Hohenwald) in Tennessee, the first natural habitat refuge for sick, old and needy elephants. Today, the Elephant Sanctuary (Hohenwald) is 2,700 acres (1,100 ha), housing African and Asian elephants in three separate sections with four barns, enclosed by 20 miles (32 km) of fencing.
Carol Buckley