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Not too long ago, Maia and Bambi were hanging out in Yard 3 near the barn when Mara decided to approach slowly, since she was in a neighboring yard. (Rana was grazing in the larger Yard 5.) Maia walked near Mara and they briefly and gently touched each other with their trunks. 

Bambi, for her part, stayed behind Maia. She gradually walked toward Mara, hesitating a little, then began to walk away, calling Maia. Bambi seemed somewhat unsettled and was looking to Maia for comfort. Mara inched toward Bambi as she started to ease in another direction, so Maia decided to follow Bambi toward the larger yards, perhaps to make sure she felt safe and comforted. Bambi would walk and then pause to wait for Maia, keeping her friend near. Mara got closer to Bambi, who turned around and thought she should start walking more quickly to keep some space between herself and Mara. 

It wasn’t an eventful encounter, but it was certainly notable to have interaction between the two groups of elephants. Recently, Bambi was intently listening to Mara’s vocalizations when Mara was having a party of one. But her insecurities appeared to make her uncertain and she stayed at Maia’s side throughout. Even though Maia might have been curious about Mara, it was ultimately more important to her that her friend feel secure.

Photo of Bambi, who stood in the background, in shadow