In the Northern Hemisphere, many people refer to the end of summer as the “dog days of summer.” It’s the time of year when the days are hot, sultry, and long. The expression is originally an astrology reference that dates back to ancient Rome & Greece.
Even though our location is in the Southern Hemisphere, and the astrology background of the expression doesn’t apply, the sentiment certainly does.
It’s not hot here like it is in the Southern US, where the humidity, dew point, and temperatures skyrocket, but it’s still hot! Temperatures here will reach the 90s (32*C) for the first time this year this week. Since it’s the dry season, there usually isn’t a cloud in the sky, and that means there is no interruption from the intense sun unless you are standing under the canopy. The humidity is also very low, so it is significantly cooler near the trees or creeks. The low humidity also means it still cools off substantially at night to the upper 60s (20*C).
The elephants seem to instinctively know what to do in this weather. They spend most of the days napping or lazing in the water, mud, or shade. They are incredibly active at night when it’s cooler.
It’s also the last stretch of the dry season and the time of year when everyone starts dreaming of the first real rain. Unlike those in the Northern Hemisphere, we are even dreaming about a little bit of humidity.
Photo of a very wet Rana, immediately after cooling off in the sprinkler.
Comments(9) 
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Nancy Shaw says
August 11, 2020 at 4:11 pmI love her pose ! : )
Wim says
August 11, 2020 at 5:48 pmYes she looks very cooled off but on the other hand Rana always looks cool. Hope your weather will be gentle to all inhabitants of the Sanctuary. Many places on earth are already tortured by Climate Change weather regime.
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Nancy Shaw says
August 11, 2020 at 4:12 pmAnd what a sweet Face !
Charlotte Hansen says
August 11, 2020 at 5:17 pmShe’s looking very sassy and happy!
Tammy says
August 11, 2020 at 5:54 pmLove the crossed back leg adorable her face is the cutest too! Love everything about them all how can you not! ? ? ?
Paula says
August 11, 2020 at 5:55 pmBella y feliz Rana!
Su piel se ve radiante!
Greg Everett says
August 12, 2020 at 1:14 amThanks for the update on the weather conditions. I assumed it would be humid all the time but obviously, it’s not. Sixties at night isn’t bad. They must have some level of night vision?
Kat Blais says
August 13, 2020 at 1:20 pmTheir night vision is better than ours. It has been stated that, during a full moon, they can see almost as well as during the day. Although their day vision isn’t as good as ours.
Rosie P says
August 12, 2020 at 8:43 amThis week we are experiencing high temps and long, uncomfortably hot nights here in the UK. This is not usually the norm so everyone tends to make the most of the good weather when it happens but, oh, for a cooling breeze!
Gorgeous, pic of Rana, please can I share the sprinkler with you? Enjoy your shady trees, ponds and mud wallow, too, sweetheart.
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