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In and Out of the Barn

May 28, 2024

This week, Maia and Bambi came back near the barn, with Guille following after. Since Bambi needs to put on a little bit of weight and Maia does not, we decided to offer Bambi an opportunity to eat alone so that no one would share her food. Mateus opened the barn and Maia and Guillermina went in, while Bambi stayed outside in Yard 1. Things started out well, but then Maia started calling to Bambi and Bambi was rumbling back in return. This caused Bambi to lose focus on her food, so Mateus opened up the barn to give Bambi a chance to join her friends. 

Neither Bambi nor Guillermina are fully comfortable walking across the stall where the jacuzzi is located, but they go in all the other chutes. So, at some point there was a little bit of a roadblock where all three girls were lined up – some facing forward and others facing backward. Eventually, Guille went into one stall and Maia went into another. This again allowed Bambi to take a break and get her treatment outside with Mateus. She got some extra produce and hay afterward. 

While Maia and Guille were inside, Scott opted to do some footwork on Maia. Guillermina decided she wanted to share Maia’s food and was really charming in her attempts to get extra bites. Maia wasn’t fazed at all, even when Guille would come over and push Maia’s bottom out of the way. Maia stood there in defiance while Guille made some of her silly noises, but then Maia just walked away. Guille was just being a silly girl and they ended up having a few nice moments together while Bambi was getting her treatment finished.

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Comments(11)

  1. REPLY
    Glena says
    May 28, 2024 at 2:15 pm

    I wish we could see one of our girls getting a foot treatment !

  2. REPLY
    Elizabeth says
    May 28, 2024 at 3:38 pm

    Aww, so sweet seeing these three girls together.

  3. REPLY
    Lori Hoover says
    May 28, 2024 at 4:57 pm

    Aww, we may need a name for these three. The Three Amigos? The story sounds so cute, I can visualize it.

  4. REPLY
    Joy says
    May 28, 2024 at 6:09 pm

    Love to read about these silly girls.
    ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

  5. REPLY
    Melinda says
    May 28, 2024 at 6:21 pm

    Friends are there for you through thick and thin (and occasionally they try to eat your food, lol)

  6. REPLY
    Patricia says
    May 28, 2024 at 7:15 pm

    They make my day! 😘😘😘

  7. REPLY
    Ann Stewart says
    May 28, 2024 at 9:11 pm

    That is quite the video Sara; thanks for sharing. Could you elaborate a little on what Tina is doing to Bambi’s foot? It seems she has to apply lots of force so what is she doing and do the elephants mind this procedure?

    • REPLY
      Kat Blais says
      May 28, 2024 at 9:57 pm

      your comment is on a blog that doesn’t show any video, so i’m not sure what you’re asking about.

  8. REPLY
    Ann Stewart says
    May 30, 2024 at 8:23 pm

    Hi Kat…Someone had indicated to Sara that they would like to see one of the girls receiving a foot treatment. In the video Sara provided, it appears that Tina had to apply lots of pressure on removing whatever it is that has accumulated around Bambi’s nail bed. Bambi didn’t seem to mind it, but in light of how much pressure Tina had to exert , I was curious as to how most elephants respond to this treatment if needed. I know I flinched feeling that it must be a bit uncomfortable?

    • REPLY
      Sara says
      May 31, 2024 at 10:53 am

      Hi, Ann. I ran your question by Kat to get an answer. The pressure used depends on what time of year it is – dry or rainy season. Their feet are really pliable in rainy season. Their nails do get softer, but they are still nails so they will always require a good bit of pressure to trim and file them down. The only thing that tends to be uncomfortable for elephants is trimming their cuticles. It doesn’t bother all elephants. Keeping the cuticles moisturized helps a lot. They feel the pressure of footwork, but it’s like a human nail – if you cut off the tip it’s not going to hurt. It’s nothing compared to the pressure they put on their own feet. Most of the girls don’t care. Maia and Guillermina tend to fall asleep. As long as it’s done properly and carefully, it shouldn’t hurt.

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