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We know that Lady loves her space and seems quite content most of the time. But, on occasion, we like to engage her with small changes, just to give her the opportunity to make the decisions about whether to interact more with some of the other elephants. Before Bambi came along and “The Powerpuff Girls” formed their threesome, Lady shared yards with both Rana and Mara when the moments presented themselves because they understood and respected Lady’s boundaries. But the energy of some of the other elephants would likely be too much for Lady – and we always want her to feel safe and comfortable. 

So in the morning, we opened the gates into Yard 4, where Lady was hanging out during the day, and both Mara and Rana entered. While this was happening, Bambi, Guillermina, and Maia were all snacking in Yard 5. Mara and Rana showed up near Lady right after her foot treatments, and Lady responded very calmly, not openly interacting with them, but also not walking away. 

There were times during the day when the girls got as close as 20 meters from each other, but Mara and Rana were always mindful of how close they were to Lady. At one point, Lady saw Mara nearby and she did take a few steps as if to walk away, but then stopped and stayed where she was. The day might have been considered uneventful for the other elephants, but it ended up being a notable afternoon for these three ladies. 

As the day passed, Bambi started missing Mara and Rana. By the afternoon, she was calling them, but they didn’t seem to respond. At the end of the day, Rana and Mara were walked back to where Bambi was, and there was a big party. It was a day worth celebrating in many ways. The evening ended with a group of seemingly contented elephants all across the sanctuary. 

Photo of Lady with Mara and Rana in the background