A Vocal Party With Maia and Bambi

VOLUME UP for lots of vocalizations!

Because of how the female Asian habitat is situated, caregivers can often hear the elephants’ vocalizations all the way up the hill at the kitchen and offices. It’s not unusual for the sound of a trumpet or two to make its way across the property, but on this particular afternoon, Maia seemed to be extra enthusiastic about something, and she had lots to communicate. It was breakfast time and, after hearing a few excited-sounding calls, we thought we’d head down to bring food and make sure that everyone was in as good of spirits as they sounded. Of course, we kept our distance at first to make sure we didn’t interfere with whatever they seemed to be celebrating, and what we found was nothing short of a lighthearted ruckus.

As you can see, Maia decided it was time to put her whole heart into playing with Bambi. Both elephants were incredibly excited, with tails sticking straight out behind them as they leaned into each other playfully. The two were frequently side-by-side or butt-to-butt. Maia would run from one side of the yard to the other and Bambi decided to take on a nearby bush, shaking it with all her might. Eventually, Maia found a large stick in the yard and brought it out so that she and Bambi could both have a turn showing it off. After a few minutes, Maia seemed to really lean into her oversized energy, getting down on her elbows and rubbing her face cheekily in the ground.

For her part, Guillermina seemed to want to stay on the outskirts of the interaction. At one point, Maia and Bambi headed toward Guille and so she made her way to the other side of the yard fairly quickly. She observed but never seemed 100% comfortable jumping into play with the other two girls. We used to see the same behavior from Guida when Maia would get super animated, keeping a bit of a distance. No matter the reason, her energy didn’t seem to be at the same level as that of her aunties. Because we kept a distance for much of the video, we were able to get several minutes of their playtime on film. Their exuberant interaction lasted for much longer than you can see here, which brought a few minutes of true joy and an appreciation of the friendship that has developed between these two special individuals.

Comments(20)

Nancy B says
November 13, 2025 at 2:11 pm

Elephant Zoomies!
Pauline Forbes says
November 13, 2025 at 2:18 pm

You have just made my day! Thanks!
What does it mean when the elephants stick out their tails?
- REPLY
  Sara says
  November 13, 2025 at 2:22 pm
  
  It can mean lots of things, depending on the situation. In this instance, it seems to be an indicator of excitement.
  - Pauline Forbes says
    November 14, 2025 at 3:48 pm
    
    Thank you!
Barbara L Smith says
November 13, 2025 at 2:41 pm

Guille, “I am staying away from this.”🥰🥰
- REPLY
  Bonnie says
  November 14, 2025 at 1:19 am
  
  Sara that was awesome what got them all loud and just happy the little butts touching each other so funny my husband and I were just laughing it’s so nice to see them happy and having fun 😄😄
  - Sara says
    November 14, 2025 at 8:08 am
    
    We don’t know what made them so silly, but they definitely seemed to be having a great time.
Ada says
November 13, 2025 at 2:42 pm

This is amazing! Seeing them being so playful and trumpeting and rumbling and Guille being overwhelmed😅, oh my! What a joy to be able to watch this interaction🥰
Sue says
November 13, 2025 at 3:43 pm

This made me smile so much!!! I am so glad you were able to catch it and share with us. Really made my day seeing such joy in our ladies!!!!! ❤️🐘❤️
Lynn says
November 13, 2025 at 3:49 pm

How delight! Do they stick their tails out like that because they’re excited?
- REPLY
  Sara says
  November 13, 2025 at 4:48 pm
  
  They will do it for several different reasons, but in this case it seems to be due to excitement.
Wim says
November 13, 2025 at 4:20 pm

Great footage. Just two elephants having a lot of fun and being utterly noisy. A treat to watch.
Poor Guille felt a wee bit intimidated. 🫶🐘🍉
- REPLY
  Sara says
  November 13, 2025 at 4:49 pm
  
  It was just after breakfast and sometimes that’s her nap time. She might have just been headed to a quieter spot.
Alida says
November 13, 2025 at 4:59 pm

I laughed so much watching this video! Obviously, Bambi and Maia had something to celebrate, or they just were in a mood for a party ✨💫 and Guille was probably wondering what’s got into her aunties, thanks for sharing SEB, its made my day, love these girls so much ❤️🐘🐘🐘❤️
Doe Fowler says
November 13, 2025 at 8:45 pm

Full of beans!! Loved every second of this. Thanks for sharing! 🐘🐘💖🐘
Lynne Russert says
November 14, 2025 at 8:33 am

LOVED this. Such happy girls!!!
Johnny says
November 16, 2025 at 7:57 am

What’s really funny and interesting is Guille. When she came to the sanctuary it was her acting crazy and energetic. The Grandma’s kept clear of her at times.
Jen says
November 16, 2025 at 11:30 pm

Ha ha, elephant zoomies! Wow these girls were par-tay-ing!!!! Did Kenya seem to have any reaction from afar? I wonder if anyone was around to see her reaction during the ruckus?
- REPLY
  Sara says
  November 16, 2025 at 11:34 pm
  
  We don’t know that she would have been able to hear them, depending on where everyone was standing. But she almost certainly got some sort of sonic communication through her feet.
Dianne Stevenson. says
November 20, 2025 at 7:49 pm

How lovely! Their joy is contagious…many thanks!

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