An elephant for Christmas? Not exactly, but Hope Elephants welcomes the community to its nearly completed elephant care and rehabilitation facility in Hope on Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 3:00 pm for a behind-the-scenes tour and presentation in advance of the arrival of its first resident elephant, Rosie.

Dr. Jim Laurita, executive director and curator of Hope Elephants, will give a short tour of the facility, a description of the care Rosie and a second elephant will receive at the facility, and a presentation on Asian elephants, including their habitat and ecology. The presentation will last approximately two hours and will be targeted to engage the younger members of the audience but will also contain information that should be interesting to all.

The event is free but donations to Hope Elephants would be greatly appreciated.

Rosie is a 42 year old Asian elephant who was brought to this country in 1970. She performed in the circus for many years, but since sustaining an injury to her foreleg she is no longer able to perform. She has nerve damage and arthritis that render her lame, and her healthy foreleg is deteriorating due to overuse. Rosie has been the victim of bullying by other elephants, but she has a sweet temperament and loves people. She is expected to thrive under the focused care she will receive at the Hope Elephant facility.

Hope Elephants is located at 51 Hatchet Mountain Road (Route 235) in Hope. Parking is available on-site and across the street at the Hatchet Mountain Publick House.

For more information, please contact Hope Elephants at info@hopeelephants.org or 207-619-4801.

Hope Elephants is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to create a humane, state-of-the-art care and rehabilitation facility in Hope where injured and aging retired circus elephants will receive veterinary care unavailable elsewhere. At this facility, Hope Elephants will offer visitors the opportunity to learn the importance of conservation and ecology through direct observation and study. For more information on Hope Elephants, visit www.hopeelephants.org.