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The process of watching Pupy and Kenya interact has been fascinating and also a reminder of how important it is to listen to what the elephants at sanctuary seem to be telling you. When they first encountered each other after Kenya’s arrival, Kenya approached Pupy the way you’d expect an elephant to if she hadn’t seen another elephant in 40 years–with a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm. In turn, Pupy responded to Kenya in a way that shed light on her complicated history with other elephants who were dominant over her–with a little bit of uncertainty. For that reason, we needed to let Pupy dictate the pace of their relationship, if they were to have one. Attempting to force interactions when both weren’t ready could break the trust we’ve been building with them, and we want the girls to feel safe at this new home of theirs.

We were witnessing Pupy and Kenya meeting across the gate more and more, after being separated for yard cleaning or training/treatment. As soon as their respective yards were opened up and they had access to an adjoining fence or gate, they would almost immediately go over to find each other, one on each side. They still weren’t touching each other at this point, but the fact that they seemed to be searching out each other’s companionship made us think that they were ready for the next step. So, after Pupy had her morning session, we opened up both stalls in the barn and Yards 1 and 2 to each other. Kenya was by the water trough in Yard 1, dusting and sleepy. She’s used to having an after-breakfast nap, and we were hoping her calm demeanor in that moment might give Pupy the space to dictate how things would go. (Scott actually had to gently wake Kenya to make sure she wasn’t surprised by Pupy’s presence.)

Pupy walked out of the barn and into Yard 1, not that far away from Kenya, but she slowly turned and went back in to eat some hay. They were almost shifting themselves into opposite yards at first. Pupy would go into Yard 1 with Kenya for a few minutes, then return to the barn. Kenya would walk over into Yard 2, and they were almost moving in a circle. They both ended up in Yard 1 and had some alfalfa and Pupy turned her bottom toward Kenya, putting her body at a distance that felt comfortable. Neither one of them was startled and Pupy didn’t seem hyperprotective. Truly, with the reservations of her past, she was being incredibly brave. 

At a later point in the afternoon, both made their way to the mud wallow and Kenya started getting more vocal. It was clear that she was having moments when she wanted to get extra excited but kept herself from being overly enthusiastic. Caregivers watched from a distance as the elephants edged closer, not touching, but about a meter and a half from each other. Kenya let out some big rumbles and Pupy took a turn rumbling back.A few moments later, they actually came together, with Pupy’s bottom touching Kenya’s shoulder. Neither of them had a major reaction or reached out to touch each other in any other way. Although for some this introduction may have been underwhelming, it was ideal for them. It showed they had grown comfortable enough that there wasn’t a tremendous amount of excitement, but also not a significant level of fear or apprehension. It was as simple as opening a gate, and they were perfect as usual.