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The elephants once had a favorite tree to rub against and we called it “The Itchy Scratchy Tree.” It is located near the barn, and it serves the girls well, but it is a shadow of itself after its largest branch fell off and it can no longer offer shade since it stopped producing leaves. They moved on to another tree, which has since been dispatched as well. They haven’t decided as a group on one specific new tree, but there are several in the running. 

This photo was taken one morning when Maia, Guillermina, and Bambi were together in Yard 5 after breakfast and treatments. Bambi was really leaning hard into one tree, giving herself what was surely a satisfying scratch. Maia wandered away in one direction and Guille went the other way, but Bambi seemed content to keep doing what she was doing. All three stayed under the shade of the canopy for a good bit of the afternoon. 

P.S.: We have great news about Sassy the tapir. After her surgery, her wound healed as well as we’d hoped. She successfully walked out of her enclosure and into the habitat to meet her son, who checked in on her often during her stay. We hope that she knows she can always return if she’s in need of care, but it’s always best for animals to return to their wild homes whenever possible.

Photo of (left to right) Maia, Bambi, and Guille standing under the tree while Bambi scratches