Volume up for Maia and Guida vocalizing in the habitat!!
The first video with our new little camera. Best feature, you can see their eyes so much more clearly, which is great to really read their emotions. The camera is zoomed all of the way in, so objects may appear closer than they are 
We missed the first half of them being silly, with their big trumpets and a bit of spinning, but we were trying to be present and playful with them. It’s great to be able to share these moments, but we also need to make sure that we’re not removing ourselves somewhat from them. The girls were great. The funny part about this clip is you’ll see a bit more than half way through that Maia comes to follow, but stops. She does realize if she comes closer we drive away, but it’s still hard for her to not come running over. In this moment she thinks and stops- and then of course Guida comes busting through, which is something she almost never does.
These kind of moments are part of finding the balance in our relationships. Sanctuary should offer them as natural of a life as possible, but unfortunately we are dealing with elephants that are suffering from decades in captivity. They all come with physical issues that must be addressed, regular care and monitoring must take place, so we need to have a positive relationship with them based on trust. It would be great if we could function more like a preserve, just put them out there and let them be, but captivity has ruined that chance. So we take the time to build up trusting relationships on their terms, all the while keeping in mind that the most important relationship they should have is with another/other elephants, not humans.
Thankfully these girls have grown to adore each other and we happily take a back seat to watching what that relationship has done for each of them. The beauty of sanctuary.
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