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Maia’s Post-Rain Scratch

We recently talked about the dry season coming to an end and, since then, have been lucky enough to experience several soaking rains at the sanctuary. The elephants delight in this weather, perhaps because it feels good on their skin or because it gets into all the “nooks and crannies” that a dip in the pond or a bath from the hose do not.

The girls do their share of scratching and rubbing themselves on the trees all year round, particularly after swimming or dust baths, but these first rains seem to bring about a more celebratory response. The elephants appear to enjoy satisfying tree scratches on their itchy spots more than usual. At this point, everyone is ready for the rain to commence in earnest, since it brings a sense of relief and joy to all. Maia demonstrates that perfectly in this video. 

P.S.: Because the video was taken from one of our observation cameras, there is no sound. But stick around until the end because Maia saves her best scratches for last.

Comments(15)

  1. REPLY
    Cintia Abney says

    Lol Nice squats, Maia 😂 Not an inch of skin escaped the scratches ❤️❤️

  2. REPLY
    Carol says

    A little dermabrasion session…love it! And free of charge. I could use some exfoliating!!!🤣🤣🤣💖

  3. REPLY
    Pam says

    So entertaining … No doubt there’s a jazzy dance music sound track that would be perfect for this video!

  4. REPLY
    Susan Flewelling says

    She is definitely missing her true calling – pole dancer!! 🤭🤭🤭

    • REPLY
      Sara says

      too funny!

  5. REPLY
    Beth says

    She’s a Ballerina! Love the plies!

  6. REPLY
    Wim says

    Mastery of the tree scratch art. Without a doubt flawless Miss Maia.

  7. REPLY
    Julie says

    Hahaha! That’s some yummy scratching!

  8. REPLY
    John says

    I bet this is what elephant dreams are made of!

  9. REPLY
    Viviana Gallo says

    ¡¡¡Ja,ja,la!! Se rascó todito el cuerpo. Qué divertido verla tan dedicada en su cuidado personal. Me hizo reír y me provocó mucha ternura!!

  10. REPLY
    Viviana Gallo says

    ¡¡Que buen video!! Exquisito, me causó mucha ternura y me hizo reír.

  11. REPLY
    Benita Auge says

    Who wouldn’t feel good about getting a refreshing shower?

  12. REPLY
    Pauline says

    Ha, ha! Sooooo adorable. It seems she was enjoying it thoroughly!

  13. REPLY
    John says

    I watched this to Pink Floyd’s “Great Gig In the Sky”, and started the song at about the 1:00 minute mark. Incredibly wonderful and humorous at the same time.

    • REPLY
      Sara says

      Great technique – adding your own soundtrack!

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