Help take extra special care of an elephant that is close to your heart. 
MARA
Female Asian Elephant
RE-BIRTHDAY: RESCUED MAY 13, 2020
Meet Mara
Mara is an absolute cutie. You look at her, and all you see is eyes - bright, golden, wide, and expressive.
Records indicate that Mara was born in India and sold to the Tiepark Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg, Germany. In 1970, she was purchased from them and taken to Uruguay to perform in Circus Africa. After a year, she was brought to Argentina, where she was a part of the South American Circus. She developed some aggressive tendencies and became known for lashing out at times. In November of 1995, she was sent to the Buenos Aires Zoo (now ecoparque) after a decree was passed that prohibited the exploitation of circus animals.
When Mara arrived at the zoo, she was met by 3-year old female African elephants, Pupy and Kuky, who already lived in the elephant enclosure. For 15 years, the three shared a space until an incident in 2010, which resulted in Pupy being pushed into the moat surrounding their space. After that, the elephants took turns outside, with Pupy and Kuky rotating time with Mara. It was a lonely existence for Mara, one that she would endure for the next decade of her life.
When it was time to eventually move Mara to sanctuary, the world was in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team wasn’t really able to spend significant time with Mara before her move, so we didn’t know much about her yet. Mara’s caregivers from Buenos Aires, who adored her and cared for her as best they could, accompanied her to the Brazilian border, where they were met by Global Sanctuary for Elephants staff, who moved her the rest of the way to sanctuary. Her travel and border crossing during a worldwide crisis was inspiring enough that Mara made the New York Times.
Once she finally found her way to Elephant Sanctuary Brazil, Mara stepped out of her crate and explored the barn briefly before deciding to take a nap in a sand pile. Rana and Mara had a near-immediate bond, and we have great memories of Rana bellowing and trumpeting with excitement after meeting Mara for the first time. Rana’s intensity was a bit much, and Mara walked away for a moment, returning to a slightly calmer Rana. Once the gate between them was opened, Rana seemed much more content. It was then Mara who took on the over-excited role, following Rana everywhere, constantly lifting her foot to touch her, and not allowing her to lie down to go to sleep. Thankfully, that excitement settled to a manageable level for both of them.
Maia was more tentative when meeting Mara, but she was likely feeling a great deal of uncertainty after the death of her dearest friend Guida. Once Bambi arrived at ESB, she took to Mara and Rana immediately, but Bambi’s energy became a bit much for them and she took some time to herself–followed by a few days with Rana–and eventually became very tight with the two other elephants, who became known as “The Powerpuff Girls.” But Mara had a tendency to push Bambi away, and so their relationship evolved into one where Bambi felt most comfortable spending time with Maia and Guillermina.
Mara came to sanctuary with a decades-old injury to her right front wrist which is something she receives daily anti-inflammatory medications for. Shortly after her arrival, she also had a difficult several months, experiencing gastrointestinal issues, which were evaluated by experts worldwide. It took some time, but Mara eventually came through and now has a customized diet that’s designed for the best possible gut health. Rana is Mara’s constant companion these days, and the two girls are very vocal. You can often hear trumpets and squeaks coming from wherever they are, which brings a joyful feeling to sanctuary life.
•••••
FACTS
Age
61 years old
•••
Forever Home
Elephant Sanctuary Brazil
•••
Nickname
Nugget, Marakins
•••
Personality
She is vocal and cute as can be!
•••
History
Ex-circus elephant. resident of Ecoparque Buenos Aires (formerly Buenos Aires Zoo) for 25 years
•••
Health
Chronic and recurring GI issues, which range from benign to serious; some chronic foot issues. She has an old permanent injury to her right front wrist.
•••
Body Condition
Tall and skinny. All eyes.
•••
Factoid
She has distinct golden eyes, which are among the most stunning we’ve ever seen.
•••
Her Story From Circus then Zoo...
Records indicate that Mara was born in India and sold to the Tiepark Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg, Germany. In 1970, she was bought and taken to Uruguay to perform in Circus Africa. A year later, they brought her to Argentina, where she was incorporated into the South American Circus.
In 1995, a decree was passed that prohibited the exploitation of animals in circus. On November 16th of that year, Mara arrived at the Buenos Aires Zoo as a judicial deposit. Mara was not alone upon arrival. Kuky and Pupy, two African female elephants, were already housed at the zoo. In 1993, at the age of three, they were brought to Buenos Aires. For 15 years, Mara, Kuky and Pupy shared a space, until an incident in 2010, which resulted in Pupy being pushed into the moat surrounding their enclosure. After that, whenever Mara was outside, Kuky and Pupy were inside, and vice versa.
Ecoparque Buenos Aires made the decision to rehome a significant population of their animals, many to sanctuaries. This will allow them to focus on native species and education while expanding the habitats of the animals that will remain at the park.
