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People frequently ask about the elephants’ sleeping arrangements–if they lie down or stand over each other when they get tired, and if they all sleep together or separately. While we have some well-known standing nappers, like Maia, it’s relatively uncommon to see one of the elephants lying down during the day. It’s not unheard of by any means. Maia and Guida used to do it frequently, standing over each other. But our current residents aren’t known for laying down during daylight hours–at least not around us.  

Right before dinner, the caregivers went to find Rana and Mara to do their treatments. Normally, they get their check-ups after breakfast, but the caregivers took some extra time to do foot trimming with Guille, Maia, and Bambi during the morning, so they opted to do Rana and Mara’s sessions in the afternoon. They caught sight of Rana and Mara in the distance, with Mara lying down on the ground. Rana was calm, so we didn’t think there was much reason for concern. This may be something she does on other days, but we went out at a time where they are normally off doing their elephant things. We assumed Mara was tired and wanted a little nap. So, everyone just went away quietly, leaving her to rest. She popped up after a while and had no problems standing. Perhaps her joints are feeling better due to her new treatment with the PEMF mat, or perhaps she just wanted more rest for her older body. 

P.S.: This is a short video that was filmed from afar, near the fence. It’s a little shaky, but we were trying to keep our distance while checking on Mara, not wanting to disturb or wake her.