Horizons & Hope for Pocha and Guillermina

As many of you guessed, Pocha and Guillermina will be the next rescue of Elephant Sanctuary Brazil! Tomorrow. For #GivingTuesday, we are launching a new fundraising campaign, Horizons and Hope, to fund their transport costs. (link here)

For those who are unfamiliar with them, they are a mother (age 55) and daughter (age 22) who currently live in Mendoza, Argentina. They live in a recessed enclosure, which means that they live their lives below ground. Pocha has lived there since 1968, and Guillermina was born there in 1998. Their facility has been a zoo since inception but is currently transitioning to an ecoparque model, which includes rehoming all four of their elephants to our sanctuary in Brazil.

Like most rescues, it has been a long process, and we are thrilled to be in the last stages of preparing to welcome these two home. We will share more about their story and the timeline of their rescue tomorrow.

It’s time again for our incredible sanctuary family to come together, as you have in the past, to change the lives of elephants in South America. This time, it’s two elephants! You can learn more here →

We hope you can join us tomorrow, on #GivingTuesday and help Pocha & Guillermina begin their new lives.

November 30, 2020

Comments(24)

Linda says
November 30, 2020 at 12:18 pm
That is such a sad picture, what a dismal landscape they have had. It will be so exciting to see Giullermina’s reaction to wide open spaces.
Patricia Aguilar says
November 30, 2020 at 12:24 pm
So happy this mother and daughter are finally going to sanctuary and all that means. Ever since I first saw the photo of them with their trunks on top of their enclosure I have been thinking of them and their unnatural living conditions, hoping they could live a true elephant life together.
Bless you for your work.
Beji says
November 30, 2020 at 12:42 pm
Come on home, girls. The life you deserve is waiting for you!!
Kelejan says
November 30, 2020 at 12:54 pm
My heart sings at the new life they are going to live. I hope they stay together for the rest of their lives. I just imagine any elephant living out their lives on concrete and not being able to walk where ever they wish and eat food growing naturally. It will be wonderful watching them discover their new home and all it contains.
Sherry says
November 30, 2020 at 1:16 pm
I will be so happy?when they finally make it to sanctuary!! What a wonderful day that will be!! FREEDOM
John says
November 30, 2020 at 1:55 pm
It can’t happen fast enough. To all the amazing people who make these moves happen, you are inspiring!
Rosie P says
November 30, 2020 at 2:42 pm
It’s hard to imagine that Pocha has lived in those conditions for over 50 years and Guillermina for all her life. Heartbreaking. Now it’s time to give back and give them the lives they deserve. As each day goes by they will be one step closer to knowing what life can be like, to be loved and cherished and to be understood. Thank you for making this happen.
JoAnn Merriman Eaton says
November 30, 2020 at 3:03 pm
It will be wonderful to watch this mother and daughter step into the beautiful life that awaits them at GSE.
susan says
November 30, 2020 at 3:33 pm
This news has made my entire year. I’ve been carrying that photo of those two sad elephants around in my head for so long – and can soon let it go! So pleased that four will be eventually arriving – sooner rather than later we all hope. Looking forward to updates – and the eventual videos of this Gang of Four arriving to their glorious new homes. What a party there will be!
Rachel says
November 30, 2020 at 3:34 pm
Goodness, what wonderful news. My heart breaks for these two gals but filled with hope for their future. Does is make any difference if I donate today instead of tomorrow? I want to make my donation go as far as it can if there’s a match out there.
- REPLY
  EleComposer says
  November 30, 2020 at 3:57 pm
  Hi Rachel, no, you don’t need to wait as the match is going on right now. As of this writing (4pm eastern), there is still $5000 of the match available. Thank you!
Julie says
November 30, 2020 at 3:43 pm
Thank you GSE, your work is so meaningful and appreciated. You can count on me for a donation tomorrow. Do I have to wait until tomorrow? Poca and Guillermina, there is plenty of tender, new, green grass and itchy scratchy trees awaiting you. You will love it all!
- REPLY
  EleComposer says
  November 30, 2020 at 3:57 pm
  Hi Julie, no, you don’t need to wait as the match is going on right now. As of this writing (4pm eastern), there is still $5000 of the match available. Thank you!
Shannon McKay says
November 30, 2020 at 4:55 pm
Oh my gosh, this is so thrilling and happy-tear-making. Pictures of P and G in captivity had broken my heart afresh every time I viewed them. Intensely grateful that their journey to Sanctuary has become a reality. Looking forward to every step of the way. Prayers for a safe journey and a swift adjustment to the wonders of Sanctuary for this Mom and her Girl. Y’all are just the best; blessings upon you..
Rachel says
November 30, 2020 at 5:07 pm
Thanks for letting me know so quickly. I just donated and sooo happy the donation will be matched. I’m looking forward to the updates with anticipation and gratitude for what these eles will experience at the sanctuary! ?❤️
- REPLY
  EleComposer says
  November 30, 2020 at 5:37 pm
  ❤️ thank you!
Jillyp says
November 30, 2020 at 7:28 pm
Fabulous news, hurray, I’m so pleased it is finally happening for this little family and they can escape the dreadful prison. It’s unimaginable to be locked up since 1968….
Wishing great success for Horizons and Hope, can’t wait to see these two free and enjoying froot loops ❤️??✨ Thank you all at Sanctuary Brazil ?
Christine Burgoyne says
November 30, 2020 at 9:56 pm
Ever since I first saw this mother and daughter together in what could only be described as a cave, my hope that one day they would be at GSE. I didn’t expect it so soon. Now it has happened thanks to Scott and Kat and all their team.l hope my donation helps from Australia
Sallie says
November 30, 2020 at 11:24 pm
I had a glitch in giving, the confirm failed (kept spinning for 30 minutes, all info correct) , but will keep trying. Good news is that the AMOUNT of GiIVING must be so strong, that the channels were clogged! Not giving up!
bo says
December 1, 2020 at 1:05 am
Wonderful!!
Have they ever been seperated before? To transport them, I guess they will be seperated for safety reasons and because they both are adult size, you can’t transport them in the same ‘house’ (to me, those transport containers look like houses)
Once at the sanctuary they will be together and I’m sure while on the road, they will be able to hear and smell each other.
Oh, good and safe journey everyone!!!
- REPLY
  Kat Blais says
  December 1, 2020 at 10:39 pm
  They have not been separated before, that we know of. It will be part of their training process though, so it’s not completely new to them during the trip. On the road, they will be parked side by side, with window covers open, so they can see, smell, and hear each other. We will make sure they know the other one is still with them.
Sunny says
December 1, 2020 at 7:22 am
The best christmas gift ever ?. Thank you! ?
Carol Andersonl says
December 1, 2020 at 8:42 am
None of the elephants you have rescued lived in a more dismal habitat than
these two. I cried the first time I saw how they were living. Now I cried with happiness on hearing that they are going to sanctuary. What is the approximate arrival time? I know it will be a while. I just cant wait until they arrive and see their new surroundings.
Kelejan says
December 2, 2020 at 1:27 am
You think of everything, Kat. Parking them side by side.

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