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Building relationships comes naturally in some circumstances, but can be challenging in others. Watching as Baby begins to establish bonds with the other elephants at sanctuary is a wonderful example of how nuanced interpersonal communication can be. As Baby continues to figure out how to approach the others, and vice versa, we are seeing a nice balance of individuals exploring new personalities while also taking time to themselves when needed. 

Some of what we may be seeing in Baby (who is doing marvelously) is that she gets excited–or perhaps a little anxious–and begins to reach an emotional level that may be too high for her new companions (which is something we also saw with Guille’s acclimation). Autonomy is a cornerstone of sanctuary, and Baby is really just learning what that’s all about; at this point, she seems to feel comfortable with walking off for a few minutes when her feelings get big, as do the other elephants. For an individual who hasn’t processed social dynamics in years, the fact that she’s able to make connections with the other girls shows that she still understands some of the complexities that make relationships work. 

Overall, everyone’s reactions have been positive (or at least neutral), but Baby may be displaying some postures or actions that come across as dominant. We often see elephants who are new to each other approach with their bottom towards the other, which can be a sign of submission or openness, and we haven’t seen any of that from Baby just yet. At one point in a mutual interaction, Baby seemed to make Guille a little uncertain and so Guille vocalized, and Baby immediately took a step back. That shows she is listening and trying to respect the boundaries of others. She’s also attempting to figure out how she could fit into this group of elephants, if she wants to at all. 

Baby is absorbing a lot of information at once, which sometimes makes interactions more complex. At sanctuary, everyone has the opportunity to become who they were meant to be and decide what role to play within the context of a larger physical and social environment. All of the girls (even the two grandmas) seem curious about each other and everyone has their own method for fitting in and standing out.

Photo of Baby grazing