Ronnie was wild-born in Asia in 1966. Like so many other circus elephants, she was captured at a young age, separated from her family and shipped to America for training and performing in the circus. Little is known about her early years, but records indicate in 1975, at a tender 9 years old, Ronnie was purchased by the Hawthorn Corporation, a company that trained and leased elephants to circuses. Ronnie had spent her entire life performing. In 1993, she gave birth to a male calf named Nicholas who also performed in Hawthorn circuses.

As a result of USDA prosecutions against the Hawthorn Corporation fo  violations of the Animal Welfare act involving inadequate care and mistreatment of its elephants, Ronnie was sent to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

On February 7, 2006, Ronnie became the twentieth resident of The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, traveling with her best friend Debbie. They were the fifth and sixth of eight circus elephants to arrive in the “Caravan To Freedom” rescue. (The following year, Nicholas, who was nearing adulthood and could not co-habitate with the Sanctuary’s all-female herd, was retired to the Performing Animal Welfare Society in California along with Gypsy, the last remaining elephant in this herd.) Ronnie and Debbie remain very devoted companions at the Sanctuary.

Ronnie is very animated and a food-motivated individual. She is always the first to arrive at the 4-wheeler for a meal! Ronnie also loves to play in the ponds and explore new areas.