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Healing and trust happen at their own pace. But the girls will never cease to amaze us. Guille is having a little
#footwork
while emulating one of her close friends Maia. Wait for the face closeup.
We often describe Maia as a pond blob and occasionally post photos of it, but pictures don’t capture what it means to be a pond blob. Here’s a shorter video of Maia in full pond blob mode. Hope your Saturday is as relaxing as hers! More on the blog -
Just two girls taking it all in. We have opened the gates up to the yard and the girls seem a bit hesitant to go out and explore, which is a-okay. It's a lot to take in all at once and we're just happy to provide them with the opportunity, should they choose to take it.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Pocha passed away last evening. To read more about this loss, the life of Pocha, and how the other sanctuary residents are doing, please read the blog -
We have watched two lives change in a matter of 10 days. From the concrete pit of captivity that held them for decades to the rolling hills of sanctuary, the change amongst Pocha and Guillermina is obvious. You can catch up on their journey here -
This video was originally scheduled to publish before Pocha’s passing. In her honor, we decided to keep the post, as it gives you a glimpse of her peaceful nature and her soulful eyes - please enjoy the blog and video below.
This is the beautiful memory of the moment Guille stepped out of the barn into sanctuary for the first time, after living 24 years in a concrete pit. This took incredible bravery. A little overwhelming, so she decided to walk backwards.
#elephants
Progress today! Guillermina has taken some steps out of the barn...of course, making it her own journey and walking backwards. Everything is so new, from the feeling of the ground to the smells in the air. We are so proud of her with every step she takes.
Spanish lawmakers passed a law on animal welfare on Thursday, accompanied by a reform of the penal code which increases prison sentences for those mistreating animals.
It's been a long, incredible day at Sanctuary. Almost 8 hours after arriving, Pocha is fully out of her crate and celebrating with lots of dust baths. We are waiting for Guillermina to join her but had to take a break from live video to charge our devices.
#rescueinprogress
Mara spent a lot of time dusting and has laid down to sleep again. We are letting her sleep in the barn tonight, to make sure she actually sleeps and rests. Tomorrow, we will open the gates and let her begin exploring her new home. She has no idea what tomorrow will bring 😴💝
Both ladies sneaking out of the barn while everyone is at lunch. They seem more comfortable exploring when alone, so we are being purposeful about giving them time during the day when no one is there. They haven't ventured further than that, but step by step.
#sanctuaryheals
Happy New Year's Day! You may have started your day as sleepy as Rana is here. From all of us at GSE, we’re sending you wishes for a healthy day of rest and repose.
Catching five
#elephants
together on camera is usually rare, but we recently we able to snap a few photos of Guille, Maia, Mara, Rana, and Bambi all close. Read more about it here -
The world’s first animal sanctuary dedicated to the protection of Spanish fighting bulls has just been founded in Colombia, in the mountain region surrounding the country’s capital of Bogotá.
#SundaySmile
Rana and Maia don’t always get to spend much alone time together, just the two of them. So it’s lovely to see them have a chance to enjoy each other’s company and some mud by the pond.
We are saddened to announce that our beloved Lady passed away quietly on Wednesday evening, May 15. Though she let us know that she was ready, it's hard to prepare your heart to let go. She will be deeply missed.
The details of her passing are here:
Do you see what we see? That tiny bit of green on Pocha's face means that for perhaps the first time in her life, she was able to experience the simple joy of rubbing against a tree. Such a simple mark on her face stands for so much more and we are thrilled!
#SanctuaryHeals
She’s home and easy and so cute. She stepped right out of the crate and has been very busy dusting, exploring, smelling and being adorably nosey. She is a love.
We will post more tomorrow after
#LadyBug
has had a chance to rest tonight in the barn. Lady is home!! ❤️
Although many captive elephants are euthanized early, in this instance her leaving her body was merciful. Sad that humans made this her path but glad the suffering is over.
#NoorJehan
🥀
Someone asked if Pocha and Guillermina can touch. Not while driving, but they do during stops. While on the road they can see, smell, and talk to each other (which they do).
#rescueinprogress
When Lady passed, there were a few photos and videos that we hadn’t shared with our followers yet. This is a video that was never posted, but we thought it would be nice to share it with you now in honor of the last day of Lady’s Commemorative Online Auction.
Scott and Lady
You may have seen us share about Rana's ankle a few weeks ago. We're happy to share that we've kept an eye on it and the swelling has greatly reduced. Read more here -
Pocha has discovered a deep love for mud and this may become part of her new morning routine. This is a wallow, so it's not meant to be a source of water, instead, for wonderful coating mud. Guille is still figuring out that it's ok for her mom to get squishy.
#sanctuaryheals
Pocha & Guillermina have both stepped outside of the barn, but aren't looking past this 10 ft. perimeter that they have lived with. That will shift, in the meanwhile, they are enjoying dirt for the first time in Guillermina's life.
#sanctuaryheals
We don’t often get the opportunity to show you Bambi & Maia together, just the two of them. But we were lucky to be able to capture it on this particular afternoon. For this week’s
#SundaySmile
, you get a closeup look at Maia’s muddy face in all its glory.
Guillermina arrived at sanctuary as a very round young lady. But with her high energy level, sanctuary has proven to be the perfect place to help her slim down and gain muscle. Read more on the blog -
We've shown several examples over the last week of the sanctuary elephants marching to the beat of their own drum. Rana is no different, shown here by her particularly special way of grazing. Read more -
News from our neighbors in East Tennessee: Jana, an elephant at Zoo Knoxville, will hopefully be making her move to TES in a few weeks. The Zoo plans to send all of the current elephant residents to Sanctuary.
On a recent afternoon, one of our caregivers-in-training heard some happy sounding trumpets. She wandered over to an area where she could see the pond in Yard 5 and observed Guillermina splashing around, with her legs sticking straight up in the air.
Pocha and Guillermina out in Yard 3. Pocha is facing away, looking like she is considering going deeper into the yard. Guille is dusting. Both doing very well.
#sanctuaryheals
During the dry season in Brazil, a bit of rain brings out the silly side of everyone- humans, dogs, and elephants. It seems there is a lot of joy in those drops
It breaks our heart to share that Ramba passed away after a seven year struggle with kidney disease and just a few magical months at Sanctuary. Her time here was filled with joy, exploration, and perfect friendship. She made every moment count.
Today, we want to share an update on Gullermina's feet. Please visit the blog to see an up close picture of how her feet are looking and to read a detailed explanation of her treatments.
This video shows Mara and Bambi leisurely exploring, grazing, and enjoying a few after-dinner moments, seemingly in no hurry. After a while, they come upon Rana who is standing nearby, doing much the same as they are.
Whiskers aren't just for kittens! New discovers in the elephant world look into more magical characteristics of their trunks. Read more for today's EleFACT Friday -
For this week’s
#SundaySmile
, you can see (and hear) Bambi with Rana then Mara in the background, all seemingly happy just to be together. At the end, Guillermina comes by to check out the camera. Just a simple, happy sanctuary moment 💜🐘
Maia is one of the biggest fans of the pond and enjoys her frequent time in whatever form of water she decides on that day. While this video has no sound, it gives a glimpse of the true joy that something as simple as a good splash can bring.
It's Animal Rights Awareness Week, which has been around since 1991. It was created to honor and remember animals who have been subject to exploitation, harm, and death at the hands of humans around the world. Read about what thi week means to us here -
Lions, tigers, bears and other species are no longer allowed to be displayed for the purposes of entertainment in Northampton, Massachusetts after an ordinance passed banning wild and exotic animals for usage in traveling performances and exhibitions.
The Moolah Shrine Circus in St. Louis has been running for 80 years. They have announced Thursday that they will stop the use of elephants in their shows, and overdue and necessary change.
Happy
#WorldElephantDay
! At Elephant Sanctuary Brazil every day is elephant day, but today we are a part of a bigger voice working for change for elephants around the world.
Lady recently decided that she wanted to spend time in the male Asian yard, and soon Rana let us know she was also interested in the area. Lady seemed to notice Rana's presence and reached out to her in an interesting way. Read more here -
Bambi began showing signs of having stomach issues yesterday. She is receiving treatment, still eating and drinking, but is still not feeling well. We will continue to try and keep you posted.
Guillermina has had a quiet week - a stark contrast from her zooming, busy days that she typically has.. It seems that she's taking a bit of a break, which we all need. Read more here -
We recently had a visit from SEMA, which is the state’s environmental authority that oversees inspections, manages preservation initiatives, and oversees licensing when it comes to natural resources. Read about their visit here -
This video of Guille went viral (14 million+ views), and this morning it was shown on
@MSN
and
@Newsweek
.
Her story is opening the eyes and hearts of millions of people to the reality that captive elephants face.
It's another step to creating a better world for elephants. 🎉
Guille is still working on having an emotionally open and honest relationship with her caregivers, which became evident in a recent training session with Scott and Mateus. Read more here -
AMAZING NEWS: The CITES permits have been signed! Thank you to everyone who has joined us on this journey and shared Pocha and Guillermina's story. Without you, this could not have happened. There is no time to wait - it's time to plan a rescue!
#SanctuaryHeals
A zoo in New York has announced the 'historic' birth of twin Asian elephants. Twins account for less than 1% of elephant births worldwide, and prior to last month's delivery, no U.S. zoo had welcomed surviving elephant twins.
If there's one thing we know about Guillermina, it's that she does things her own way. In this video, she shows us her special way of eating grass: she bites the roots off once the grass is inside of her mouth and they fall away to the ground.
Not all elephants enjoy getting bathed with a hose, so we have an “elephant shower” in Yard 1. If you want to give an elephant time and space, you can just turn on the shower and walk away. Pocha had her first experience with this and seemed to enjoy it!
Today's
#SundaySmile
is brought to you by coexistence. Lady decided she wanted to move out of the male yard & back into the main habitat, so all the other girls needed to shift back into Yard 4 again. They seemed happy and ready to do so. Read more here -
Some days at sanctuary are just extra spunky. The girls recently had a bit of a high energy day, following the 4 wheeler all over. There were elephants everywhere it seemed! Read more here -
Although Lady is no stranger to feet trimmings and foot work, some days can be a bit more intense than others. But Lady has been handling the sessions with exceptional grace and flexibility. Read more here -
Recently, caregiver Mateus was asking Rana to come into the chute for her treatment, but she didn’t seem interested in coming in. Although this uncommon, it's a lesson in the autonomy that comes with sanctuary. Read more here -
Ecuador has made history by becoming the first country to recognize the legal rights of individual wild animals. The 7-2 ruling is believed to be the first time a court has applied the rights of nature.
It’s a big week here at Elephant Sanctuary Brazil. Today we get to shine a light on Mara for her 3rd sanctuary re-birthday! Enjoy the video of her enjoying some celebration produce and read more here -
The state of Kentucky has adopted new laws that prohibit circuses from utilizing endangered species, successfully ban elephant rides within the state, and finish harmful exotic-animal reveals at state and county festivals.
Lady is one curious elephant when it comes to Pocha and Guillermina. A few days ago, she returned to the barn for a third chance to meet the new girls. Read about it on the blog -
An exciting update - Maia has been spending part of her days exploring in Yard 4 & recently positioned herself in a way that made it easy for her to access Yard 3, allowing her to officially meet Pocha and Guillermina. Check out the video and the blog -
Happy Friday, have some squeaks from Pocha and Guillermina. It's a sunny, bright day at sanctuary and the girls are already getting out and about.
#sanctuaryheals
Lady recently showed up to dinner a bit muddier than normal, but who can blame her? With a mud puddle like this, a splash is just necessary! Enjoy the video and read more here -
There are times when you can see elephants from up the hill, depending on where they’ve decided to spend time. One morning, Kat looked down into the habitat and saw an elephant by herself in the back of Yard 4 and across the creek - Rana! Read more here -
So much happening today - Mara and Rana have instantly reacted as if they have known each other previously - we don't know for sure, but it is possible they do. There have been bellows, trumpets, rumbles, and many human tears. 💖 More on blog -
You may have noticed at some point that Maia has scar tissue on her right ear which looks like a puffy area towards the base of her ear. Recently, we thought the spot may be getting larger, so we examined it closer. Read more here -
In the middle of the rescue excitement, we don't want to miss an opportunity to celebrate the re-birthday of beautiful Miss Mara. Two years ago today, she arrived and embraced her new home with seeming relief and has been bringing us joy ever since.
It's the little things...like being able to move Pocha and Guillermina from the 'Elephants in Waiting' page on our website to 'Happy Residents'! Check out Guille's page here -
Though we are all on the edge of our seats watching how Pocha and Guillermina reflect, we want to focus on the other sanctuary girls too. Today we want to share a simple video of Lady, doing one of her favorite things: playing in a mud wallow.
While Maia and Bambi spend time together in a group setting, it’s not often that we see just the two of them sharing space. We recently caught a rare moment between the two. Watch the video and read more here -
Although there is clear evidence of Pocha & Guillermina introducing themselves to bushes throughout yard 3, today was the most we have seen them explore and graze during the day.
#sanctuaryheals
"Is she OK?? How does she hold her breath for so long?" You might ask.
Elephants only breathe about 6 times per minute!
Maia will keep relaxing like this for up to a couple of hours. Watch how she comes up for air!
#ThrowbackThursday
#wildlife
#elephants
#nonprofit