Carol Buckley
Executive Director/ co-founder
The Elephant Sanctuary

Carol, age 47, has more than 27 years experience in the care and management of Asian elephants. For nearly 15 years Carol traveled the US, Canada and abroad performing in a number of circus including Circus Gatini in Quebec, Canada and the Big Apple Circus in New York. She has implemented educational demonstrations for a number of zoos throughout North America including Santa Barbara Zoo, Kansas City Zoo, Nashville Zoo and Granby Zoo in Quebec, Canada. Carol has an extensive background in developing elephant management programs and providing animal medical care.

Before founding The Elephant Sanctuary, Carol owned and operated her own elephant management company, Tarra Productions, for 20 years. Her experience with Tarra Productions included promoting, exhibiting and maintaining, Tarra, a female Asian elephant, and studio work for television and motion pictures. In 1995, Carol co-founded the nation's first natural- habitat refuge for sick, old and needy endangered Asian elephants. As executive director, she helps to care for six elephants at the Sanctuary, runs the business office, organizes elephant acquisitions, and develops and implements educational programs for the public. She is a well- known speaker on the subject of elephant care.

Carol attended the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at Moorpark College in California, and is licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.