Maia’s Silly and Sleepy Moments in the Barn

On a recent afternoon, Trish accompanied Scott to the barn for some basic footwork treatments. Maia tends to be very cooperative with us in most situations. But, sometimes she may want to take a break and just spend a few moments in her thoughts or, perhaps more often, use the opportunity to relax in the chute for a little nap. She does this with all of her caregivers; Maia is easy to work with, but she might also show playful or coy behaviors – deciding if she wants to participate in the moment or wait a few minutes and do it on her time.

You have seen photos of us holding an elephant’s nose during treatments. Once they offer it, we then ask for a particular body part to examine – often the feet. On this particular day, Scott was holding Maia’s nose while Trish was doing a bit of foot trimming, and Maia was doing well, as usual. But when Scott and Trish attempted to swap places, Maia would put her nose out correctly, but not lift her foot. Perhaps for fun, or because she was a bit tired, Maia leaned her head against the enclosure and started to doze. She was clearly comfortable, but not ready to cooperate.

In moments like these, Maia is not being resistant – just a bit cheeky or silly and obviously relaxed. Kat and Scott have seen Maia behave this way a number of times, but it was the first time that Trish has witnessed this side of Maia. After giving Maia a few minutes of intermission, Scott tried again and Maia decided she was ready to finish. It’s possible that Maia was having a little fun – but just as likely that she saw it as a cozy moment for a snooze. Either way, it was a funny moment and a reminder that these elephants will always keep us on our toes.

Comments(11)

Alana says
June 3, 2021 at 3:02 pm
Speaks volumes to the trust she has with her humans.
Debbie Sides says
June 3, 2021 at 3:03 pm
I just love her fuzzy head and cheeky grin. She’s absolutely adorable!
Katie Howard says
June 3, 2021 at 3:42 pm
Ms. fuzzy! Her personality is as big as she is! ?
❤️?❤️
SHEILA says
June 3, 2021 at 4:47 pm
OH DEAR ❤️?MAIA! SHES A LIL FUNNY GAL THAT HAS HER WAYS IF HAVING A BIT OF FUN! I THINK SHE WAS JUST SO RELAXED SHE JUST WANTED A NAP OR SOME AFFECTION MAYBE SOME PATS ON HER BODY AND SOME POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS TO GO ON FOR ABIT LONGER❗️SHE WAS BEING A REAL GOOD GAL SO I HOPE SHE GOT LOTS OF TREATS?????. GREAT SHE ENJOYED SCOTT AND TRISH!?
Ellen says
June 3, 2021 at 5:12 pm
The most wonderful thing always is when every decision is theirs…
John says
June 3, 2021 at 9:27 pm
What a picture! I’m loving every post, every picture, every video. Keep ’em coming (please) !
Tammy says
June 3, 2021 at 10:26 pm
That picture is adorable i want to give her a big hug and smooch and that cute head of hair oh my ???
Anita Janusz-Wong says
June 4, 2021 at 1:39 am
Beautiful insides to beautiful lives of our girls. They are all very unique and precious. So glad they are all thriving in that magical place we call sanctuary..:-)))
Wim says
June 4, 2021 at 2:37 am
Everybody loves MAIA. Giant box of Pandora always surprising never boring keeps you on your toes.
??❤️
Maureen C. Allen says
June 4, 2021 at 11:29 am
Despite your considerable knowledge, you’re always in Learning Mode, never assuming you have all the answers–surely that approach is a key factor in the contentment of these magnificent elephants.
JoAnn Merriman Eaton says
June 6, 2021 at 1:51 am
The most wonderful message from this post about Maia’s cute antics is she has choices, snd how much she trusts. 🐘♥️

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