Elephant Diary

Maia Likes a Good Nap

Maia recently came in the medical chute for some footwork on her front feet. Her need for foot trimming is minimal at this point, but we still do maintenance on her pads and nails to keep them healthy. A couple of weeks ago we did her back feet; this week…...

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Night Feeds and Old Friends

Mara is eating substantially faster lately, compared to the days when she was feeling more discomfort. For a while, she came back to the barn most evenings for her night feed. Rana and Bambi could hear the four-wheeler coming down the hill at around 10:00 p.m. (22h) and would start…...

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An Apple a Day? Not For Mara

In over 30 years of working with elephants, we have never known an elephant as picky as Mara. During a recent meal, she began checking her whole apples for medicine. We like to think that we are very clever; however, we are apparently not clever enough to hide an elephant-sized dose…...

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Making Time for Everyone

After a recent night feed, the energy coming from all of the girls felt really positive. Everyone seemed pleased to be out and about. Mara seemed to be feeling good that night and was eating well. Rana, Mara, and Bambi were acting particularly sweet. ...

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Mara Shines Through Her Challenges

Mara continues on her upward trajectory of healing since her bout of gastrointestinal issues and bloating a couple of weeks ago. Knowing how these episodes can repeat themselves, and healing takes its own path, we are happy with how Mara has been these past days. Although she looks good, we…...

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Maia Naps and Gets Some Extra Love

On a recent evening trip to check on the girls, Maia was spending time in Yard 3 – which she hasn’t done in a while. She surprised us and we almost drove right past her on the four-wheelers. The gates are often open and the girls can choose where they…...

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