Blog

Today is a bit of a quiet day at the sanctuary, it seems things are setting in a bit. Maia and Rana shared the habitat last night, bumping into each other around 9 pm, but went their separate ways. We somewhat expected Rana to be close to the barn, but she was in a part of 5 that she doesn’t often visit. She is sullen today, but it is expected. The first day Rana just seemed to be trying to take it all in. Yesterday she seemed a little lost and trying to figure things out, today she looks sad. Her usual silly side is quiet, and although she is not disconnected, she’s not fully there either. Her mood is appropriate; she lost her new best friend.

Maia is doing ok today, lighter than yesterday. She went off by the pond, seeming to take it all in stride. Lady is also better today. We did her foot soaks this morning and worked on touching, and she did very well- patient and positive. She enjoys her food reward for sure, but she also seems to appreciate the pride felt towards her when she puts in the effort.

We’ll all take each day as it comes. We have many thoughts on moving forward, but we need to let the girls lead the way. It’s part of trying to reign it in and not push our own desires or what we think would be best on them but instead allowing them to show us what they truly need.

The photo is Rana (left) and Maia both with Ramba. Although we wanted to write about how Rana was doing, it felt invasive to try to take a photo of her today and to be anything less than completely present with her. So we are sharing this photo instead.

We also wanted to say thank you for the love that has been shown to Ramba and her life at the sanctuary. I spent a chunk of the afternoon reading and crying at the beautiful sentiments that people shared. The vulnerability struck me, as it has always been one of the qualities of the elephants that I admire most. Putting your heart out there is never easy, and it was such a tribute to Ramba and what she meant to so many. One of the other things that stood out was seeing that she was ‘the first’ elephant for many that they connected with in such a profound way. She was unique and changed us all and the sanctuary forever. We are honored to have shared her story with all of you and for you sharing yours in return.

December 28, 2019

• Ramba’s Memorial Page ♥
• Maia’s Page →
• Rana’s Page →
• Lady’s Page →