One on One Social Time for Rana and Bambi

Rana and Mara are eating some of their meals in the barn recently. It’s an easy way to separate them to ensure Mara gets all her own food without her food-oriented best friend helping herself, and then we can treat Rana’s eye papilloma while Mara eats at her own pace.

If Bambi is nearby, we will sometimes let Mara and Rana into separate yards after breakfast. Mara will stay by herself, and Bambi is given the opportunity to join Rana, giving Bambi and Rana one on one social time. Mara does not seem to mind these brief separations from Rana.

This time gives Bambi much needed socialization opportunities with another elephant. Bambi brings a significant level of excitement to her interactions with other elephants, which is understandable. The humans find it incredibly charming, but the elephants find it less so. We hope that sharing a space with Rana will help defuse Bambi’s tremendous energy levels to help her have positive social interactions with other elephants. Rana, of course, is excellent with Bambi regardless of Bambi’s manners.

Bambi will frequently make seemingly random noises at seemingly random times. The vocalizations she makes would have significance if another elephant made them. However, they don’t appear to us to have the same meanings to her.

For example, Rana will be relaxed and calm when Bambi suddenly vocalizes as if Rana did something exciting. At times, she will make a noise that an elephant usually makes when another elephant touches them. She will do it after she’s been standing next to someone for several minutes, without any observed changes in behavior or posturing.

Elephants sometimes urinate when they’re excited or during greetings, but Bambi does not seem to understand the difference between that and an elephant urinating normally. If Rana urinates when they are sharing space, Bambi will become very excited and respond with excited urination.

Bambi continues to be very energetic and animated while sharing space with other elephants. She zooms around with enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Rana continues to be a rockstar and remains calm and patient. She seems content spending time together and doesn’t seem phased or concerned by Bambi, regardless of Bambi’s speed. Bambi’s excitement appears to be incredibly innocent, so it’s encouraging to see Rana be so accepting of Bambi for who she is.

Photo of Rana.

November 18, 2020

Comments(17)

Sherry says
November 18, 2020 at 4:14 pm
Bless Bambi’s heart. She is feeling excitement in her life for the first time since she came to sanctuary.
I am so happy for her!?❤️
susan says
November 18, 2020 at 4:27 pm
“dollars to donuts” we all have at least one friend like Bambi! She has come such a long way in a short time – that elephant hiding in her shelter seems to have been left far behind.
Wim says
November 18, 2020 at 4:38 pm
Wonderful to have much energy but a pity she still has much work to do adapting to the other girls and her free environment. Time will be the judge of further improvement. Still she’s utterly adorable. ???
Lila Nieto says
November 18, 2020 at 5:07 pm
Rana, always so incredibly wise and wonderful. Super super Rana, I think their interactions will help dear Bambi tremendously.
Lori Hoover says
November 18, 2020 at 5:48 pm
Rana may just be the sweetest soul ever. I am always in awe of her.
JoAnn Merriman Eaton says
November 18, 2020 at 6:01 pm
Bambi is that one at every party !! Could end up with a lampshade on her head any minute. Love her new found happiness and joy, I hope she has it for another 20 years!!?♥️
Sue says
November 18, 2020 at 6:59 pm
RanaBug the Rockstar! Absolutely ❤️ ! Great to hear about their interactions and happy that Mara seems ok with it, too. Love the photo of Rana with her cute hair head ??❤️
Sallie says
November 18, 2020 at 7:08 pm
BAMBI IS SWEET & TOUGH! She will sort through all this posturing, and work her adorability into super positivity! LOVE YOU, PRECIOUS GIRL!
Shirley Taylor says
November 18, 2020 at 7:44 pm
Bambi reminds me of a dog that has been chained just to a kennel for years never gone for a lovely walk without a lead on so it can explore. Never had any human attention or another dog to play with so does not know how to behave. I love them all and just adore Bambi.
Julie says
November 18, 2020 at 7:59 pm
What a sweetie you are, Rana. I love you to pieces. I’m remembering a video of Bambi literally running to catch up with your 3-wheeler, and I’m wondering if wearing Bambi out before here interactions with other elephants might help her social progress. Just wondering.
Debbie Sides says
November 18, 2020 at 8:07 pm
Bambi is childlike it seems and it’s endearing. I hope she can learn from Rana to interact with the other girls and become part of the herd. Maybe Lady will join them more in 2021. I hope.
Kenneth Newman says
November 19, 2020 at 1:05 am
Can’t wait for the Mendoza 4 come to GSE. Maybe by the end of the summer 2021? …….That should be wonderful for many future blogging episodes, and obviously the current elephants would be hopefully overjoyed……
Kenneth Newman says
November 19, 2020 at 1:05 am
Can’t wait for the Mendoza 4 come to GSE. Maybe by the end of the summer 2021? …….That should be wonderful for many future blogging episodes, and obviously the current elephants would be hopefully overjoyed……
Rosie P says
November 19, 2020 at 1:14 am
This was the sad and fearful ellie who chose to stay in the corner of her indoor space at the zoo!!!!! Bambi left her behind the day the truck drove away and on to sanctuary! Bless our sweet angel who finds excitement in simple things. She is like a young child taken into a toyshop. Rana, the matriarch, tolerant as ever. I believe Rana knows that Bambi needs to heal and is so patient with her. So happy for them.
SHEILA says
November 19, 2020 at 1:57 am
OH DEAR ❤️?BAMBI! SEEMS TO HAVE SOM VERY FUNNY LIL MANNERISMS THAT DONT ALIGN WITH OTHER ELEPHANT BEHAVIOR! IM STILL WONDERING IF SHE HAS GENETIC ISSUE, THIS FUNNY BIG GAL!! PLUS PERHAPS SOME OF HER ISSUES ARE FROM VERY POOR VISION?❓ ITS VERY NICE BAMBI CAN BE WITH RANA❤️? FOR SOCIALIZATION! AS WE ALL KNOW RANA IS A “TRULY LOVELY CALM LADY”. FROM THE DAY OF HER ARRIVAL! I REMEMBER SCOTT SEEING HER AT THAT TREELESS DESTITUTE LOOKING PLACE SHE LIVED! SHE THREW A STONE ! SHE SOMEHOW KNEW SCOTT WAS HER SAVIOR AND ONLY WANTED RANA ? TO OVERCOME HER LONELINESS AND LOVE ? SANCTUARY❗️ GREAT RANA HAS SUCH A LOVELY CHARACTER AND SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE A LITTLE BAMBI FUN AND NONSENSE! COULD IT JUST BE BAMBI IS JUST THANKING ALL THE LADIES FOR BEING SO. NICE BECAUSE SHE SO HAPPY WITH THEM IN FREEDOM FINALLY AT THIS LOVELY JUNGLE?
Carmen Lucia Souza says
November 19, 2020 at 5:11 am
I LOVE Rana! For me she is a potential herb leader. But Bambi… what can I say?! She is like a curious baby that touches our hearts. These posts really make my day. Thank you!
Carey says
November 20, 2020 at 11:12 pm
Maybe Rana understands Bambi in some ways, with similarities between them with their need of company, and huge excitement at prospect and potential of being part of a herd for Bambi. Again, deprived lives leading to a 58 yr old not knowing the basics of ele group etiquette. We will see when she settles down after a few months, how she welcomes other sisters and at a distance, brothers. Thank you for your updates and insights endlessly interesting

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