Maia Gives Guillermina Room to Share

While Guillermina is processing her relationships with other elephants in a slow and measured way, she has strong bonds with both Bambi and Maia. Occasionally, she tries to push Bambi’s buttons a little bit, but Bambi doesn’t allow Guille to get away with much of anything. Maia is a strong personality in Guille’s life, and Guille doesn’t try to get in her way very often, except when she’s being particularly silly. Guille has a good sense of boundaries when it comes to Maia and their relationship is only growing tighter because of it.

As we’ve spoken about before, during dinner, Guille has been known to stroll around looking for a chance to grab some extra hay or produce from the others. As Maia, Guille, Bambi, Rana, and Mara were eating together, Guillermina looked in Bambi’s direction and seemed to immediately decide that Bambi was not going to be an ideal target for sharing. Slowly and quietly, Guille walked toward Maia – not in a manner that indicated she was going to push her way in to get some food, but more cautiously and thoughtful. Seeming to take notice of this, Maia picked up a bite and walked a half step away, letting Guille finish the rest of the pile laying there. It was a moment that seemed nurturing and was almost certainly a move toward positive reinforcement, with Maia acknowledging that Guille didn’t just plow her way over to Maia’s dinner. Rather, she came over and paused to wait for Maia’s response. Even small moments like this can represent big reflections of growth for Guillermina.

Photo of Maia

Comments(6)

Debbie Sides says
January 18, 2023 at 3:02 pm
Bless her she’s learning. Maia is a good teacher. Guille has come so far in a short period of time. Big changes after moving and the loss of her mother, she seems to be doing remarkably well. What better place to heal than ESB? She’s living in paradise💚
SHEILA says
January 18, 2023 at 3:26 pm
Yes. It seems that Guille is slowly learning boundaries with respect. Dear POCHA didn’t teach the girl too much, because she didn’t have enough environment space in the cave. Nor any elephants to teach social skills to Guille. Thank God Maia is wanting Guille as a BF apparently and has the patience to show Guillie. Good manners!! Keep up ur great learning GUILLIE❤️🐘🤩
Lynne Russert says
January 19, 2023 at 6:38 am
Aww, our baby is growing up!!
Tammy says
January 19, 2023 at 1:51 pm
Oh such a sweet tender moment that was also quite a learning experience. I just love reading about these intimate moments between the girls it really shows just how much they are growing within the herd 💞🐘💞🐘💞
Carey says
January 19, 2023 at 7:31 pm
Omg they are amazing. Tearing up reading this. Thanks Sara
Beci says
February 4, 2023 at 8:29 pm
They can teach us so much. I would imagine Guille after being locked in that tiny space and probably not fed a lot she is afraid she is not going to get enough to eat. It is so great to see the other elephants teach her manners. I fall in love with them from my closeness I had with an elephant when I was a little girl. Effie was a beautiful elephant but unfortunately this was back in the early and mid 60’s so the Zoo she was in her place was small. But her caretaker Mr DeLeon, my neighbor who took me with him to help, (he did it because he new I loved it),took really good care of her and we took her for walks outside the cage everyday in the forest around the little Zoo. At least she got to experience that. She would be so happy when he would ask her to go for a walk. She would do a lot of squeaking and I always thought she was telling us she was thankful. She never was made to do tricks and when just he and I took her in walks before the zoo opened in the mornings she just cam along. We asked her and she came. He never made her do anything she didn’t want to and there were days she didn’t want to do certain things.

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