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It is annual checkup time at Elephant Sanctuary Brazil – the time of year when all of the elephants get a detailed, head-to-tail medical evaluation. While the caregivers do medical check-ins and treatments with the girls on a regular basis, these yearly physicals are more intensive and every part of their bodies are looked at in detail. 

We take photographs of the girls from all angles and document any changes over time. When we say we take pictures of everything, we really do: from the sides of their bodies, to their heads, to their feet, to the inside of their mouths. Though a caregiver might see an elephant every day, this documentation gives us the chance to look at comparative data from one year to the next.

Once everyone goes through those steps, laboratory tests are done to see how the elephants are internally. Just as with humans, it’s important for the elephants to get their yearly physical so they can receive the best possible care as they continue to grow, age, and change. 

Photo of Scott, Dr. Trish, and Guillermina