Blog

Bambi’s Nighttime Ruckus

Rana has recently been going to the area between Yards 4 and 5, near where Lady was. We decided to take the opportunity to let her and Lady share space for a little while, since they’d been together recently. We opened up Yard 5 and the connecting yards near the barn for the two of them. The rest of the elephants stayed in Yard 4. 

Somewhere around 10pm, Kat and Scott heard a trumpet that sounded somewhat atypical; it didn’t sound worried, but it did come across as different in some way. They looked at the cameras to see if there was anything going on between Rana and Lady, but Lady was nowhere to be seen and likely asleep. They saw Bambi headed near the fence dividing Yards 4 and 5; her tail was sticking out and she was making all sorts of noises. Then she began making bigger trumpets. 

Generally, if Mara leaves Bambi while Bambi is sleeping, she wakes up and calls out to find Mara. Rana is unusually the first one to go to Bambi in these situations before Mara eventually chimes in. Bambi wasn’t stressed – she was just being silly. But Rana (who was also clearly asleep when the ruckus began) got up and walked over to the other side of the fence from where Bambi was. Clearly still tired, Rana walked away after a few minutes with Bambi, perhaps to lie down again. Meanwhile, Bambi began calmly grazing. Scott and Kat scanned other parts of the habitat and saw Guillermina up and about, probably awakened by Bambi’s trumpets. She was headed in Bambi’s direction, but no more vocalizations were heard for the rest of the evening.

Photo of Bambi

Comments(12)

  1. REPLY
    Cintia Abney says
    July 31, 2023 at 2:54 pm

    Awn Bambi doing the night count and missed Rana ❤️ she needs to know everybody’s whereabouts.. she is a datling 💚❤️

  2. REPLY
    Glena says
    July 31, 2023 at 3:14 pm

    When do our elephants come in heat? What are the signs? How often?

    • REPLY
      Sara says
      July 31, 2023 at 3:45 pm

      Technically elephants don’t go into “heat.” They go into estrous. We’re not even sure that any of them still have a menstrual cycle, except for Guillermina – though it’s possible. Scott has worked with elephants who cycle into their 60s. We don’t check because it’s not an issue, as there are no males. The signs generally exist when males are around and they are behavioral rather than physical.

  3. REPLY
    Linda Williams says
    July 31, 2023 at 7:09 pm

    If you’re all about letting the elephants do their own thing, why do you shut them out if areas in the first place?

    • REPLY
      Sara says
      July 31, 2023 at 7:21 pm

      It’s about safety for them and for their caregivers. There could be a scenario where we’d need to separate them. And it’s important for Lady to have choice in the same way that the other elephants do. That means giving her her own space. Yards have to be cleaned, etc. It also goes back to the concept of protected contact. There are many reasons.

  4. REPLY
    Jerry Cornelius says
    July 31, 2023 at 7:28 pm

    Bambi – party of one!

  5. REPLY
    Carey says
    July 31, 2023 at 7:33 pm

    What a lot of activity after the sun goes down! Good that you’re giving Lady and Rana a protected space together again. The story unfolds

  6. REPLY
    Kenneth B. Newman says
    July 31, 2023 at 7:34 pm

    Speaking of males, its time for Tamy to be brought to GSE……This LONG, UGLY wait for him to get his GSE freedom?, to be able to get out of the hole in the Mendoza Zoo , has taken too long……..animals, whether human beings or Elephants, all deserve the company of the opposite sex……..despite how some people feel attracted to the same sex……maybe Elephants also have some personal attachment to the same sex?

  7. REPLY
    Lori Hoover says
    July 31, 2023 at 7:35 pm

    LOL Maybe it’s Bambi’s version of the Waltons, minus a John Boy! So far, anyway.

  8. REPLY
    Terry says
    July 31, 2023 at 11:49 pm

    Bambi’s way of keeping tabs on her friends! Brings the saying ” tooting your own horn”, to a whole new level!❤️

  9. REPLY
    Susy says
    August 1, 2023 at 10:58 pm

    Tal vez tendrían ganas de seguir conversando en grupo. Me uno al pedido de trasladar a Kenya y a Tamy desde Mendoza al Santuario. Por qué tanta espera? Por qué dejarlos en un encierro eterno. Por qué no se les permite vivir en hábitat adecuado, contenido, donde puedan interactuar con otros a cualquier hora del día , cómo hacen las chicas en el santuario? Muchas gracias por compartir este momento

    • REPLY
      Sara says
      August 1, 2023 at 11:55 pm

      We have no control over when Kenya, Kuky, and Pupy come. At this point we’re waiting on paperwork to be approved. Tamy still needs training from the Mendoza staff before he can be transferred. You can read status updates on our current progress page: https://globalelephants.org/current-progress/

Post a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Global Sanctuary for Elephants

  • PO Box 2426
  • Brentwood, TN 37024
  • (615) 435-9523

 

Stay connected with our herd


Name:
Email:
We will never share or sell your information for any reason.
Privacy Policy

MISSION: Protecting, rescuing, and providing sanctuary for elephants worldwide.

Global Sanctuary for Elephants is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt, public charity status (EIN 46-3564818) and all contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

Global Sanctuary For Elephants Nonprofit Overview and Reviews on GreatNonprofits

© Global Sanctuary for Elephants. All Rights Reserved