Caregiver Michele reflects on Maia’s journey—from a high-energy, defensive circus elephant to the calm, steady “rock” of her social group. Today, Maia comforts Bambi, reassures Guille, and sometimes still starts a joyful party. Read her thoughts: https://ow.ly/Q5Ui50YNcCi
Rainy season is gradually slowing down, so we’ll soon be seeing more of these clear blue skies and fewer gray rain clouds. Though we’ve gotten lots of soaking showers lately (the kind that drench caregivers to the skin), we know we’ll miss the rain when dry season arrives.
This Sunday, we’re highlighting Rana’s beauty as she stands under a sky that’s clearing from a heavy rain. The elephants got nice and wet, so you can see lots of Rana’s pink spots. She’s super clean, which is a rare sight when the elephants spend so much time in the mud.
making the habitats look endlessly deep and wild. The girls move away from the fenceline and walk off into this natural wonderland, and the rest of the day is theirs alone. Far from human industrialism and chaos, it’s a space that mimics the natural life of an elephant.
a special stillness starts to fall over the sanctuary. In the absence of the sounds of human hustle and bustle, the hum of the bugs and birdsong fills the space. The sun lowers and turns everything golden, and heavy shadows spread from the tall trees,
After decades in circuses and zoos, one of the greatest gifts for the sanctuary elephants is peace.
In the evenings, as the caregivers finish delivering the girls’ dinner, office staff leaves for the day, and the maintenance team puts down their tools,
Elephants are known for their incredible memory—and it plays a key role in survival. This awareness is one reason we limit human presence at sanctuary, helping maintain the calm, healing environment they rely on. Read more: globalelephants.org/elefact-friday-memory-an...
Two elephants are being moved out of the Houston Zoo for a future breeding plan. Tucker is 20 years old and Nelson is only 5. Read more: www.chron.com/life/wildlif...
Habitat loss for elephants is leading to isolation of herds and "increasing levels of inbreeding, mating between relatives, which also leads to a loss of genetic variation and can compromise the health of a population." www.reuters.com/business/env...
After breakfast, Mara and Rana shared shade under a favorite tree, dozing while leaning gently against it. Aside from an occasional scratch, they enjoyed a quiet moment together. Read more: globalelephants.org/a-little-shade-for-rana-...
Guillermina zooms through the habitat quickly -- much faster than the other girls at the sanctuary. 🏃♀️
Guillermina continues making progress in the treatment chute, recently allowing the front gate to close—a big step. During foot care, she paused for reassurance, then relaxed and placed her foot for trimming. Read more: globalelephants.org/guille-gets-vulnerable-d...
Thousands of little water drops make Maia look sparkly! ✨
In this Sunday Smile, Molly the dog howled near the barn while Maia and Bambi listened curiously. Maia squeaked, Bambi rumbled, and together they created a sweet, unexpected chorus. Read more: globalelephants.org/sunday-smile-howls-and-s...
In this photo, Mara is standing in front of the "barn"-- the main treatment center where we care for the girls. There is a foot soak tub in the barn where Rana gets her feet treated.
Color is one of the easiest ways to tell Rana and Mara apart. Rana has a lot of pink on her face and ears, but Mara only has some freckles.
What differences can you see between Rana (in the front) and Mara?
Maia, Bambi, and Guille decided to take a trip to the pond. While Maia floated and napped, Bambi got a little silly and started squishing around in the mud. Watch the video and read more here: globalelephants.org/fun-in-the-p...
Rana spent many years alone before coming to the sanctuary. Her excellent social skills and ability to understand others deeply is a part of her nature, but she also practiced and mastered these skills at the sanctuary.
Hi Rana! 👋 If you're familiar with our posts, you might know that Rana is sometimes referred to as our "welcoming committee". She excels at caring for others by noticing and adapting herself to what someone else needs.
Granny Rana has such a sweet face when she is feeling content. 🥰
Where'd you go girls? 🐘🐘 At dinnertime, caregivers searched Yard 4 for Rana and Mara, who had wandered deep into the habitat. After about 20 minutes, the pair reappeared closer to the barn—almost as if they were keeping us guessing. Read more: globalelephants.org/meeting-in-t...
The grass is very thick and tall, but when the rainy season is over everything will look a lot less green. 🌱
This is Mara (left) and Rana
Bambi took a shower using the water from her trough. 🐘🚿
Have you ever wondered how researchers and conservationists identify individual elephants? Read this article to learn how to spot the defining characteristics of elephant ears! www.elephantvoices.org/multimedia-r...
One of our new caregivers, João, took a moment to describe what his sanctuary experience has been like so far. Read his thoughts here: globalelephants.org/caregiver-jo...
The gentle flutter of their ears in the wind, and the soft slap of ears against their heads: it’s the natural soundtrack of an average afternoon at sanctuary.
When they’re simply hanging out, lots of times they play in the rain, chew methodically, and make swishing noises–all of which can create a calming energy.
right ear that’s about the size of a hand. Most of the time when elephants flap their ears, they’re attempting to keep cool, keep bugs away, or just feeling mellow–but the sound can be soothing, no matter the reason.
In this week’s Sunday Smile video, you can hear lots of relaxing ear flaps.
Each elephant’s ears have unique shapes and features, and you can use those qualities when trying to identify them. For instance, Guille’s ears fold down all along the top ridge. Maia’s ears also fold down at the top, but she has a few holes in her ears and some scar tissue on her
