Help take extra special care of an elephant that is close to your heart. 
BAMBI
Female Asian Elephant
RE-BIRTHDAY: RESCUED SEPTEMBER 26, 2020
Meet Bambi
For as frightened as Bambi was at the zoo, she found a comfortable new home.
Bambi came into our lives in 2013, when we visited her at the Leme Zoo in Brazil. She seemed to have a joyful energy, but one that was slightly masked by her circumstances. The zoo had accepted her on a temporary basis, since she had recently been confiscated from the circus, where she had spent over 40 years of her life as entertainment for others. We were still in the process of getting Global Sanctuary for Elephants on its feet and didn’t yet have a property for the sanctuary, which made it impossible for us to take Bambi then–though the zoo asked us to do exactly that.
We didn’t see Bambi again for seven years, until a court order awarded her freedom. She was now living at a zoo in Ribeirão Preto and we sent our team there to bring her home. Bambi was living next to another elephant named Maison, and after an altercation between the two, Bambi seemed terrified of her. During the scuffle, which Bambi initiated, she ended up in the small pond in their yard unable to get past Maison to get out. After that, the two elephants were separated and Bambi spent much of her time in the corner of a small room inside of her barn.
When it was time to leave the zoo, Bambi took her time getting her courage up to fully enter her crate. She would partially go in but would use her extra-long trunk to grab her treats and bring them back to her room. Scott and the transport team spent a week getting her comfortable but there was uncertainty of how much time she would need. Eventually, the team had to make plans to leave and our veterinarian was going to stay behind to continue working with her. Bambi, perhaps sensing a change in atmosphere, settled into her crate that day and the team loaded up to bring her to sanctuary. She was then in her 50s, seeming significantly less joyful than we saw her 7 years prior. She was also blind in her left eye, over 1,000 lbs underweight, and had layers of dead skin covering her body.
Once she arrived at the sanctuary, Bambi bonded with Rana and Mara while Maia seemed not to want much to do with her. Bambi became protective of Mara and they were very close until Mara decided that Bambi’s energy was a little too buoyant. Bambi spent some time on her own, and then a few days with just Rana, and then she calmed significantly. After that, Bambi, Mara, and Rana became virtually inseparable, earning the nickname “The Powerpuff Girls.” But eventually, Mara seemed to push Bambi away again and we aren’t certain as to why. Bambi appeared uncomfortable around Mara in general and began spending more time on her own. That is, until the morning we found Maia standing alongside Bambi, a big step for Maia, who was on her own journey when it came to relationships with the other elephants. The two became inseparable and have spent almost every moment together since then, joined by Guillermina, when she is not burning off some of her youthful energy exploring.
Bambi is losing sight in her right eye now as well. Her friends deeply care for her and make sure that she’s never alone. She knows she needs only to call for them and they’ll be at her side. Her playful energy has calmed a little, though she does appear to enjoy Guillermina’s youthful exuberance at times. Bambi is facing some insecurities these days due to her compromised vision, but she doesn’t need to look far to have her spirits lifted.
FACTS
Age
61 years old
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Forever Home
Elephant Sanctuary Brazil
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Personality
A bit of a puppy dog personality; she is easily excited finds joy in the little things.
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History
Circus elephant for 40+ years; confiscated and sent to Leme Zoo for 5 years, then Zoo at Ribeirão Preto from 2015 to 2020
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Health
Blind in one eye and losing vision in the other
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Body Condition
Initially arrived at sanctuary thin, but has grown to a healthy weight
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Bambi at the zoos
When we first met Bambi at the zoo in 2013 she was spunky, but seven years later and she was a different elephant.
When we visited Bambi at the Leme Zoo in 2013, she was interactive when we initially arrived. She was all ears and attentive when we spoke to her, but she never vocalized. She was on the brink of being silly; you could see it in her face, as she stuck her tail out—just a half a step away, but never got there. We were brought closer to look at her, and she was respectful but much more reserved with people near. The zoo, who had only taken her temporarily after she was confiscated from the circus, asked us if we could take her right away. It was a surreal but sad moment that they were offering, yet we did not even have a property for the sanctuary at that point. Leaving the zoo that day, we knew there was a chance that she might never know sanctuary. And it was heartbreaking.
A SHADOW OF HER FORMER SELF
It had been seven years since then when we next met Bambi, and the cute little butterball we briefly knew was a shadow of her former self. Bambi had lost a significant amount of muscle mass and weight. She is now blind in one eye and initially carried her head low. Being unsure of the reason for her decline in condition, we were prepared for the possibility of a serious health situation. But some simple adjustments, such as diet and exercise, made a huge difference for Bambi physically. And as anyone who has followed our past rescues knows, autonomy, individualized care and respect, and the support of compatible herd members help to heal the soul.
