LOS ANGELES, CA, Jan 12, 2004/ --- After 18 years of performing under the big top, and nearly two decades living alone, Flora, a 21-year-old elephant, is packing her trunk and moving to her new home, The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee.

When Flora hid from her fans by retreating into her trailer, Ivor David Balding, founder of the not-for-profit Circus Flora and her guardian for nearly two decades, knew she needed to be with other elephants.

He set out to find a permanent home, where Flora, who has lived alone in captivity since orphaned by poachers, could become a part of an elephant family.

Come this September, Flora will join two female African elephants at the Elephant Sanctuary’s newly expanded 2700-acre natural habitat, the largest refuge exclusively for endangered Asian and African elephants.

There, Flora will be able to roam on hundreds of acres of forests and pastures in the company of other elephants.

“Elephants are highly social, and while Flora and I are attached, she needs to be with other elephants,” says Balding.

“After learning that my long time friend Carol Buckley would be expanding her wonderful sanctuary to include African elephants, I immediately visited and asked if she would take Flora.”

Buckley enthusiastically agreed. Now, the only thing left is to raise $200,000 to build an additional stall for Flora at the Sanctuary’s soon-to-be constructed African elephant barn.

Ahali Elephants, Los Angeles-based non-profit organization established to care for Flora, has launched a campaign to ensure Flora’s move to the Elephant Sanctuary and has set up a website, www.africanelephants.org, where donations are accepted.

Here are 4 ways to help Flora:

#1. MAKE A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION to Flora's endowment, in an amount that is meaningful to you. Click on Donate Now

#2. BUY A TEE, SAVE AN E! $10 from each Free Flora T-shirt sold goes to Flora's endowment. 100% organic cotton tee-shirts made by Wildlife Works, and organization working to protect habitat for African Elephants in the wild.

#3. BE FASHIONABLY CHARITABLE! $44 from each set of Free Flora earrings sold goes to Flora's endowment. Designed specially for Flora by Lena Wald, the earrings come in 14k white or yellow gold with pave diamonds.

#4. SPREAD THE WORD! Utilize the “power of e-mail” to tell friends & family about Flora.