Everyone Gets Their Own Tree

Sometimes the elephants want to be near their friends, but other times need a little space for themselves. During hot days, the elephants might gather together under a larger tree to graze but, depending on where they are located, they might instead situate themselves under separate shady spots, which is what Maia, Bambi, and Guillermina have done here.

Maia, who you see first, is leaning against a larger tree, having given herself a nice scratch a few minutes before. There’s an open gate between yards, and Bambi (in the middle) and Guille (on the right) have passed through it; they’re close to Maia but went looking for their own trees where they could graze and snooze. Of course, Guille can’t always stay in one place for too long, so she walked out into the yard, finding a flake of hay to snack on.

Guille walked over toward Bambi and stood right next to her. For a moment, we thought Guille might decide to share her bite with Bambi, but Guille opted to finish her treat herself. For her part, Bambi showed little interest and continued leaning on her tree and relaxing, much like Maia. So, as is sometimes the case, there were two sleepy elephants who chose post-breakfast naps and one silly girl who chose to explore.

Comments(6)

Joey says
March 18, 2026 at 3:03 pm

Do you think the girls feel confined by those bars surrounding the yards? Or do they know they have plenty of room to roam, going from one yard to another as they see fit? Does it remind them of the enclosures they were in the past? I hope they are fully aware that they are free and will be for the rest of their lives now that they are at Sanctuary. The whole area is so green and lush and inviting, isn’t it?
- REPLY
  Sara says
  March 18, 2026 at 3:12 pm
  
  Unless they are in the smaller yards, they’re not usually near the fences. The videos we film are taken when they elephants are close to the fence or the barn around the time of meals or treatments. We don’t film out in the yards for safety sake, hence people see more of the fences in videos than the elephants usually see in a day. But they don’t seem bothered by them in any way. In fact, sometimes they seem to relax knowing that people can’t invade their space. After dealing with years of humans inviting themselves to touch or abuse or be too close to them, they know they get to choose what space to share. Thanks for asking that question!
Johnny says
March 18, 2026 at 3:24 pm

This video is great. I don’t recall seeing one quite like it. Endlessly fascinating creatures!
Elizabeth says
March 18, 2026 at 5:42 pm

Is the itchy, scratchy tree still standing? Or was it given more work than could ever be asked of a tree and succumbed to gravity?
- REPLY
  Sara says
  March 18, 2026 at 5:55 pm
  
  It’s seen better days! https://globalelephants.org/farewell-to-the-itchy-scratchy-tree/
Bonnie says
March 19, 2026 at 12:01 am

it’s nice to see them enjoy their day in a good shady spot

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