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Mara is an elephant with a special, intangible quality that makes others want to be her friend. She, Bambi, and Rana (aka the Powerpuff Girls) have been a strong team for a while now. Mara also seems to have welcomed Maia into the group and is (very) slowly opening up to Pocha and Guillermina. However, because of the gastrointestinal issues that Mara faced soon after her arrival at sanctuary, she didn’t go through the same growth process as most; for that reason, didn’t seem to fully grasp how to be a giving friend to others or put their needs before hers – even those who clearly adore her. 

Guillermina, as you all know, has changed the dynamics of our sanctuary herd in significant ways. Perhaps as a result of her presence, we see Bambi maturing and learning to adapt her behaviors to the situation at hand on a regular basis. Still, Bambi shows great enthusiasm around Mara and loves being by her side. But Bambi is also demonstrating more confidence, which might be causing Mara to have mixed feelings about Pocha and Guillermina’s effect on Bambi. 

Mara’s attitude has become a tad bossy toward Bambi and, at times, she’s not as welcoming as she can be. It’s hard to know exactly why this is, but it could have something to do with Guillermina’s energy and how Bambi is responding to that. Because Guille can be dominant over Mara, Mara might be looking for someone else in the hierarchy that she might be able to have dominance over; in the past, that elephant has been Bambi. Things are changing among the group all of the time, and that may impact the friendship Mara and Bambi still have. If she’s to maintain her close relationship with her friends, Mara may need to do some of the emotional growth that she missed out on years ago. 

Photo of Mara and her hay