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We’re currently highlighting the female Asian elephants as a way for our followers to either meet them for the first time or remember exactly why they love each girl. This week, we’re featuring Guillermina, also known as Guille. Because she was born into captivity, Guille is the only elephant whose birthday we actually know. She’s 26 years old and full of spunk, having shown the older elephants that youth can bring a renewed energy to the party. 

Guillermina was born at the Mendoza Ecoparque (which was then a zoo) to her mother Pocha and her biological father, Tamy. The two females’ enclosure was completely underground, which allowed them no access to the natural world. For the entirety of her then 24-years, Guille had never been able to step on a grassy surface or even see the sun set on the horizon. Pocha did her best to raise Guillermina under the circumstances, offering her everything she possibly could. Often, that meant that she gave Guille what she wanted, whenever she wanted it. As a result, Guille became headstrong and would sometimes take her frustrations out on her mother, but that was understandable considering she had only her mother to vent to. 

When we began the process of bringing the two elephants to sanctuary, they were extremely hesitant to separate and go into their crates, even though they weren’t far apart. We eventually placed the two crates together from end to end, welding a little fencing between them, giving them the chance to actually walk all the way through together. Once they began exploring the crates, they then both became a little possessive of the crates, since that was really the only thing they’d ever had that was “theirs”. This was our introduction to Guille entering the world backward if she was unsure of it. After they became comfortable spending extended periods of time in their crates, the relocation team moved swiftly to get them on their way to Brazil. Mother and daughter rode the same way they got used to the crates, just inches away from each other, facing each other, and touching trunks gently when the caravan would stop for breaks. 

The elephants’ arrival at sanctuary brought with it some understandable uncertainty for them. Both Pocha and Guillermina were incredibly cautious about leaving their crates and walking into the barn, taking hours to open up to their new home and actually let go of their crates, which they’d really taken possession of, finally claiming something as their own. Once they were safely out of the crates and in the barn, they were again hesitant to leave and explore. Though the barn gates were kept open, the elephants chose to remain inside much of the time, taking baby steps into the outside world that was completely new to them. Pocha had been underground for decades and Guille for her whole life, so this new space was big and somewhat overwhelming to them. Through this process they were not rushed, but simply supported. It was easy to understand the significant change this new landscape caused and we wanted to give them the space to become comfortable before taking that next big step. 

Pocha would often lead the way, encouraging Guille to ease out of her comfort zone and explore the habitat. They tossed plenty of sand and dirt on their backs and discovered the mud wallow, then the pond and the trees, eventually meeting the other elephants slowly, easing into relationships with others. Guille was initially way too much for some of the girls, and her energy was overflowing. It took some time for the ladies to open up, but they gave the new little girl a chance, which she responded to by learning how to “read the room” more and tailor her behavior to match the situation. She also gave the other elephants an energy boost, bringing a youthful spirit to the sanctuary. She found that Maia and Bambi were sometimes strict aunties, but they were also potential playmates. Pocha would often look at Guille from a distance with what seemed to be pride, having possibly never even daring to dream that her daughter would ever have this life. 

These days, Guille spends much of her time with Maia and Bambi, though she does enjoy wandering when it suits her fancy. She still exhibits plenty of exuberance, and has eased into young adulthood with a sense of fun and playfulness. Outwardly, she’s in good health, which is a huge positive for an elephant who showed up at sanctuary incredibly obese and having stood on compacted ground for a couple of decades. She still gets footwork during the rainy season when her pads are soft, but her feet could have been in much worse condition than they are. Seeing Guille grow into a bright young woman makes us think of Pocha and sense the pride she’d certainly feel at seeing her daughter grow into who she was always meant to be.