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Mara and Rana Ask: The Sun or the Shade?

September 28, 2026

Female Asian elephant Mara stands in the shade of a copaiba tree with purple flowers. In front of her, female Asian elephant Rana stands at the mud wallowTo say that the elephants love their mud wallows and ponds all year is an understatement. We have seen that they run toward the water during rainstorms; storms seem to make the elephants spunky. During dry season, most everyone moves a little slower due to the heat, so moisture and squishy mud cool the skin and provide cover from the sun and the bugs. 

Many animals (dogs, cats, even people) enjoy sitting out in the sun, even when one might think the weather should be too hot to enjoy. There are simply those who thrive in the sun. That’s the case with elephants, too. While it would be rare to find an elephant who doesn’t relax under a shade tree, it’s also common to see them out enjoying the sunshine–often covered in layers of mud. Mara and Rana have been choosing different environments to relax in lately, with Mara opting for shade after a mud bath. Rana was more interested in basking in the sun, so she stayed put near the wallow, seeming to fall asleep.

Mara (left) and Rana (right) enjoying their respective environments

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Comments(6)

  1. REPLY
    Ada says
    September 28, 2026 at 2:28 pm

    The choices available to them living in the sanctuary is so wonderful for these beautiful girls💗🥰

  2. REPLY
    Terry says
    September 28, 2026 at 2:55 pm

    Smart ladies!

  3. REPLY
    Wim says
    September 28, 2026 at 5:07 pm

    Wonderful to have each others company, rain, shine or shadowed. Old Friends living together like bookends. Bravo, Ladies. 🐘🍉🐘

  4. REPLY
    JoAnn Merriman-Eaton says
    September 28, 2026 at 5:40 pm

    Couple of girlfriends just spending a leisurely afternoon together. Lush greens to munch, mud to wallow in, a choice of sun or shade. Maybe even work in a nap. All is good in the neighborhood! 🐘🐘❤️

  5. REPLY
    Alida says
    September 28, 2026 at 5:42 pm

    What a gorgeous photo of Rana and Mara! 😍 The colours are stunning as are the girls, and it’s lovely to see that they have choices, stand under the shady tree or under the sun, that’s the beauty of Sanctuary living ❤️🐘🐘❤️

  6. REPLY
    Johnny says
    September 29, 2026 at 9:42 am

    Oh yay! With all the current focus on Baby and Sandro, I was very worried they had forgotten about Mara and Rana!

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