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The land at Elephant Sanctuary Brazil is naturally well-suited for elephants in so many ways. There are hills to climb, large pastures to traverse, springs to navigate, and trees to provide shade. But there’s one particular element that can’t be quantified, and that’s the idea of choice. In most situations, captive elephants have had their decisions made for them, and, until they come to sanctuary, they’ve not been able to choose what they eat, where they go, who they interact with; additionally, in so many situations, they face abuse by those who want to control absolutely everything. The individuals who finally reach sanctuary may, for the first time, get to determine how exactly they’ll move forward. 

Elephant confidence may grow when they are given the autonomy to choose their own paths and make their own decisions–and they seem to get a sense of accomplishment when they conquer a new challenge. We’ve witnessed that the longer elephants are here, the more they can overcome uncertainty and perhaps become more comfortable with themselves. Individual attitudes and approaches change when one has the opportunity to learn who they really are.

When arriving at sanctuary, some elephants don’t know how to process the newness around them. Someone may not be sure of how best to come together with other elephants; for instance, Maia, Bambi, and Guillermina all arrived at ESB with heads full of steam, needing some time to themselves to figure out how best to acclimate to their new world, and making a choice about how to adjust their actions or, as in Lady’s case, to largely live on her own. 

Just as new elephants get to decide whether or how to change their behaviors around others, the established elephants get to choose to join their new companions or, if they need it, take some time away themselves. Initially, some of the older elephants needed space from Guille, when Guille was still learning how to interact with others. And, after Guida died, Maia needed lots of time and space to come to terms with the loss of her friend. She stayed on the outskirts of the larger group until she finally decided to let her guard down and embrace Bambi. But that was a big decision on her part, and one that she may never have come to outside of sanctuary. 

Today, we invite you to join together to create more room for the female Asian elephants to roam–and to open up more space to welcome new elephants. As our goals are met, we are opening “locks” that give our supporters surprises along the way. We’ve reached the $50,000 milestone, so the first gift for our community has been unlocked! Click here to see what’s waiting for you. Our goal is to raise $150,000 toward the total cost of an approximate 200-acre expansion. Thanks to a generous collective of supporters, the first $75,000 donated will be matched–meaning your gift will be doubled. Find out more, and see how close we are to opening the next lock by checking out our Room to Roam page! Be a part of the future of Elephant Sanctuary Brazil and give the gift of autonomy to the elephants within our care.