Lady and Mara Are Uncertain But Intrigued

Since rainy weather means footwork season for all of the girls, Mara was in the barn recently having a foot soak, when Lady walked over. The footsoak chute exits into Yard 3, where Lady was hanging out at the time. For some reason, Mara was startled by Lady’s presence in the yard, and she took a step back to watch for a moment before returning to her foot soak. Lady stayed for a few more moments, just watching quietly. They were both a little uncertain, but also a bit intrigued. In scenarios like this, another elephant might reach out to touch a friend that’s nearby – but that’s not Lady’s style. So, she just watched and ate some hay before walking off. Still, Lady was very curious about Mara and what was going on, even if she kept her boundary. She tends to be more inquisitive and interactive when she feels safe and secure, and she seemed to be in that kind of emotional place that afternoon.

It was interesting to see Mara be so hesitant around Lady, since Lady is hardly an intimidating presence. Mara comes across as so confident around Bambi and Rana, but is less so around Maia and Lady. There are definitely times when her insecurities peek through. Sometimes, elephants, like Rana, become more confident the longer they are in sanctuary. Others need longer, or will always require space, like Lady. Because Mara was sick with her gastrointestinal issues for many months, that hampered her social growth a bit, since she needed to concentrate on her own wellness.

Insecurity can be a hard emotion to resolve, and we saw two elephants that struggle in that area interact with one another, and eventually settle into a comfortable place. As always, things evolve over time.

Photo of Lady in one of her happy places

Comments(10)

Patricia says
December 8, 2021 at 2:56 pm
I love these complex, intelligent, and beautiful girls so much. I am very grateful for the chance to know them a little bit. 💖💖💖
Debbie Sides says
December 8, 2021 at 3:22 pm
I always wonder what happened to Lady in the past to keep her distance from the other girls. Hopefully one day she can befriend them. Maybe Rana.
- REPLY
  Sara says
  December 8, 2021 at 3:31 pm
  She has spent time in the same yard as Rana. And we’d consider the other to be her friends. She’s comfortable around them, as long as she can control the distance. It’s possible that her feet may prevent her from wanting to be around others because, if she wanted to move away, she may not be able to do so quickly enough. As long as she seems happy, that’s the most important thing.
Julie says
December 8, 2021 at 3:34 pm
Thank you for the Lady post!
John says
December 8, 2021 at 3:49 pm
This brings to mind a question; Do elephants communicate at frequencies/levels the human ear can’t detect?
- REPLY
  Sara says
  December 8, 2021 at 4:43 pm
  They absolutely can. You can read about it in one of our EleFact posts:https://globalelephants.org/elefact-friday-earthshaking-communication/
Beji says
December 8, 2021 at 4:05 pm
Hubba hubba….what a beauty!
Barb says
December 8, 2021 at 4:46 pm
I really appreciate these inner workings at ESB. It helps us feel like part of the family getting our daily updates. Thanks!
Katie Howard says
December 8, 2021 at 4:57 pm
The complexities of Sanctuary!
I trust that each elephant there is becoming more whole. Their journeys began long before Sanctuary & that cannot be erased immediately.
Thank you for ensuring they have a safe home and letting them sort it all out! ❤️🐘❤️
Suzanne says
December 8, 2021 at 11:10 pm
I recently was wondering again about Lady’s past and what established her boundaries… who knows..trauma, abuse, isolation… we’re just always grateful she has the distance she needs, friends nearby and comfort. Thanks for all you do!

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