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Memories of Bambi’s Rescue – From Janna

It has been one exciting year since Bambi joined us here at Elephant Sanctuary Brazil. Her life story has taken twists and turns, as has her time here at sanctuary. 

Those of you who read our posts here or follow our social media channels have come into contact with Janna, our social media manager, whether you know it or not. She began working for Global Sanctuary for Elephants shortly before Bambi arrived, so she experienced her first rescue with all of you. We thought we’d share some of her feelings so you can see how deeply each elephant’s arrival affects us at GSE. While we have to focus on making sure everything happens just so, it is impossible not to be emotional knowing the promise of what lies ahead. 

Janna says, “Bambi’s rescue torpedoed me into the world of GSE. By the time Scott was on the road, it felt like I had barely familiarized myself with the four elephants that were already at sanctuary. The whirlwind of a rescue was exciting and brand new to me; it was fast paced, with so many updates and questions from every angle.”

If you watched any of Bambi’s rescue, you may have seen some of the live videos Scott made during that time. (The playlist below shows all of the videos in order.) Bambi was initially curious and eager to explore her transport crate, but not committed – then some of her insecurities seemed to take over, and she decided to take a step back into the comforting behaviors she’d known for years. Over the course of seven days, she began to reclaim a little bit of herself, eventually entering the crate for her trip home. 

From her home in the US, Janna was experiencing the effects of Covid-19 on the world and it impacted the way she saw Bambi’s move. She says, “For myself and for many others, I think Bambi’s journey is more than just a story of an individual who came from something bad and overcame it. In the middle of such an isolating year for so many people, Bambi gave us something positive and encouraging to focus on, to look forward to, and to love and give energy to.”

“The greatest thing that I have seen since Bambi’s rescue is the resonating, long-term effect that she has on so many people. I consider myself to be an animal lover, and I have a background in veterinary medicine, but I had never seen attention and love for one animal on a scale that I did during and since her rescue. Our supporters are some of the most dedicated individuals I’ve ever had the pleasure of communicating with, even if it’s behind a screen. Some of the comments we get on a daily basis bring me to tears… I wish there was a way to tell Bambi that her story has touched so many. I would like to think that she can feel all of the love she receives from all over the world, and that the support she receives has helped her thrive and flourish.”

In honor of Bambi’s re-birthday here at GSE, we are doing a small fundraiser to give her back some of what she’s given to us. Janna has suggested that we treat Bambi to some of her favorite produce. If you would like to donate, you can choose any amount you are comfortable with – even a dollar makes a difference. If you are unable to give, we hope you will send kind wishes Bambi’s way as she continues to learn and grow here at Elephant Sanctuary Brazil. For those who would like to donate, you can click here. Thank you for following Bambi over the past year – and the many years to come. 

Watch Bambi’s journey to sanctuary. The videos play in order, back to back. If you want to skip around, you can open the videos into a new browser by clicking HERE.

Comments(14)

  1. REPLY
    Sallie says

    I ADORE Miss Bambi and her shy, sweet, unsure disposition! She certainly feels the love and support of her human caregivers, and will be a wonderful asset for GSE and THE Girls! They will look after her, once introduced and the slow go of “getting to know you!” Thank you Scott, for your great, entertaining and knowledgeable introductory dialogues!

    • REPLY
      Sara says

      She jumped right into the “getting to know you” phase – perhaps a bit too quickly. But it will be interesting to see how all of the girls react to the new additions.

  2. REPLY
    Carol says

    Oh how I recall Bambi’s story. I prayed for her to acclimate quickly to her crate and cried tears of pure joy and gratitude when she so speedily exited her crate and stepped foot into her new home, her utopia! She now has a fantastical life and we are so very thrilled for her. 💝💖💗💓

  3. REPLY
    Alana says

    Oh Boy I get to get Bambi a re-Birthday gift. She is just precious!

    • REPLY
      Sara says

      Thank you!

  4. REPLY
    Barb says

    Gracious what a treat down memory lane! Thank you for the moments of Bambi’s journey to ESB.

  5. REPLY
    Wim says

    All elephants are equal but some are more equal than others. Miss Bambi knows a secret path from where she drifts into your heart!
    🙏🐘❤️

  6. REPLY
    Debbie Sides says

    It was so exciting when she decided she was ready to gp and when she arrived at ESB it was magical. Sanctuary to me seems like a magical paradise for them. I can’t imagine what it’s like for them with the all the new life and surroundings. How wonderful to finally get to live their life in this beautiful place.

  7. REPLY
    Anita J says

    That was amazing rescue and transfer!! Bambi was so sacred and insecure. Therefore her transformation from the first moment of stepping into sanctuary was just pure magic! I watched every second of those videos. It was simply beautiful. Thank you for making an afford to film it all and give such detailed commentaries! Everything was much appreciated! Thank you!

    • REPLY
      Sara says

      It was a unique and beautiful journey for all of us. Thank you for following along.

  8. REPLY
    Patricia Bamford says

    I’ve loved watching these videos all over again, Bambi then and now is just magical.
    Every rescue has its magical moment, for me Bambi coming out of the crate when she reached sanctuary like a sprinter at the Olympics was amazing, she knew she was home ❤️❤️❤️

  9. REPLY
    John says

    It’s truly amazing to witness Bambi’s transformation. There’s so much to learn about elephants.

  10. REPLY
    Sunny says

    She was so scared. But she made it. We are very proud of her, aren’t we?

    • REPLY
      Sara says

      She continues to make us proud all the time.

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