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Rana has been in a lighthearted mood lately, and you’ve likely seen a number of instances of her and Mara together in the rain or in the pond. They tend to follow each other’s lead, so when one gets in the pond, the other usually follows. When the two elephants’ spirits get high, they can be pretty silly, especially for a couple of older ladies. Rana, being somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 years old, still has the spirit of a much younger elephant when she’s feeling spunky. Mara is a few years younger (she’s 61), and she has a relatively calm demeanor–but on this day, she seemed to be feeling especially feisty. 

The pair ran toward the pond once the rain started; we’re not necessarily sure why the elephants often want to swim during a rain shower, but almost across the board, the girls like it. While Rana (who you see first) was perfectly satisfied to splash around with her trunk, Mara had a higher-energy approach to the afternoon. She rolled around in the water, smushing her head and nose in the mud. Rana eventually headed out of the pond, but Mara stayed a while longer, making waves on the normally calm surface. 

After they emerged, Mara lifted her foot to Rana, something she’s done for years and that appears to be a sign of affection for Mara. After this interlude in the water, the girls hung around the pond for a while, but didn’t get back in while we were near. Pond time is good physical exercise, but it also invites them to engage with nature and just let go and have fun.