Blog

As part of our ongoing series highlighting the Asian elephant residents, we’re focusing on Rana today. Rana is the oldest of all the elephants at sanctuary. We know she’s at least 65, but some of her records list her as 75. Because she was wild born and there are conflicting records, we choose to believe she is younger–which means she’ll be with us longer. 

Rana worked as a circus elephant for about 40 years and was then taken off the road. It’s unknown what happened to her for the next two years, but she eventually ended up at a hotel zoo on the coast of Brazil where she lived for 7 years. Most of her days back then were spent eating, standing, and throwing something to demand more food or to get people to go away. The yard she stayed in was surrounded by hot wire and there was a small, dilapidated hut that she used for shelter, since there were no trees around. 

Physically, at our first meeting, Rana didn’t appear to be in the best condition. We noticed immediately that she had a years-old injury to her left front leg which caused her to keep it straight when she was walking. She had some old pressure sores, but her biggest issue was with her vulva, which the zoo was unable to treat. It was clearly bothering her, swollen, and they believe had maggots in the past. Although she had a veterinarian who cared for her deeply, they did not have the facilities needed to provide her care. When time came to leave, Rana seemed in such a hurry that she rushed into her crate before we could even capture the moment on camera.

Once she got to sanctuary, she met the only two residents at the time, Maia and Guida. Introductions went well, but Rana kept trying to insert herself between the two close friends while also not allowing them to lie down to sleep (it seemed to cause her concern), so after tolerating her behavior for numerous days, they communicated to her that they needed some space. She went off on her own for a while, still excited about exploring her new home, then made her way back into the group slowly once she was ready to try a different approach. Knowing Rana now and having relied on her to help settle other elephants like Bambi and Guillermina, we believe that first difficult lesson is what has shaped her into the elephant that she is today- adjusting who and how she is for whatever the other elephant needs. 

When Ramba arrived at the sanctuary, Rana seemed excited but was tentative about touching her for the first time. Rana was almost brimming over with enthusiasm but was perhaps thinking back to her early days with Maia and Guida and may not have wanted to go overboard with this potential new friend. But once she got over that initial uncertainty, she and Ramba became virtually inseparable until Ramba eventually passed away a few months later. She has continually maintained good relationships with all of the other elephants but Mara is her closest friend and the elephant you can most often find her side by side with. Not only do we appreciate Rana for the sweet and silly elephant she is, but for the balance she has brought to the rest of the herd and what she will mean to those who have yet to come.