Rana is growing more and more hair. We posted about it a few months ago, but her hair has continued to grow thicker and heavier.
When she arrived, she was hairless. She has always been a distinct-looking elephant with her hairless body and beautifully smooth, wrinkle-free skin. Now she is not only growing hair on her head, but her back, ears, body, and even tail. She arrived with a tail that looked like a stump, without a single hair on it, and now it has begun growing hair, which is something we’ve never known an elephant to do after decades of not having hair.
Even though it doesn’t get cold here, Rana seems to be growing some sort of winter coat. The hair on her back and sides is growing fast and furious right now. For context, the cooler temperatures we keep referring to means lows in the low 70*s F (21*C).
It’s an excellent example of sanctuary transformation. While we prioritize emotional healing and any health issues they arrive with, sanctuary improves their overall health. This is evident at a glance with increased muscle tone and general improvement of their feet over time just from walking, digging, and spending time in the ponds. Sanctuary also improves their health in less significant ways. Like with Rana, her skin improvement from access to natural exfoliants (trees and other elephants) and regular moisture (ponds, the rainy season, and mud wallows) seems to have allowed her hair follicles to heal.
Sanctuary heals in a million “tiny” ways that we don’t always see or know, but with the growth of Rana’s tail hair, that fact is both undeniable and unexpected. We’re curious to see just how hairy she will become.
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Nancy Shaw says
January 8, 2021 at 5:00 pmYou Go Girl !! : )
Nannette Stone says
January 8, 2021 at 5:01 pmOh Rana, you are getting like a woolly mammoth, but totally beautiful ❤️
Nicole says
January 8, 2021 at 5:01 pmThat is wonderful! Sanctuary is definitely creating healing!
Kenneth Newman says
January 8, 2021 at 5:10 pmCould Rana’s hair growth also be attributed to her most likely better? diet………..Obviously, if these elephants are in a MUCH happier mood, and doing MUCH MORE walking, bathing, and in general having a MORE natural life, then maybe their true selves will come to the surface, whether its their bodies, their general health, and their minds……I would bet that in another year or two, these elephants will have changed even more, and NOT for the worse, but much better…….
Nicole says
January 8, 2021 at 5:13 pmI don’t like aging….the older we get the more hair we get in places.
Kelejan says
January 8, 2021 at 5:22 pmPerhaps she is descended from hairy Mammoths?
Andrew Pearson says
January 8, 2021 at 5:32 pmIs the growing of new hair in different places what normally happens to Elephants as they grow older. Is this a sign of Rana becoming content and loving her new home more and more.
Pam says
January 8, 2021 at 5:37 pmMaybe there is a woolly mammoth dormant gene coming to life ?
JoAnn Merriman Eaton says
January 8, 2021 at 5:38 pmWow! Wondering if it has to do with a hormone imbalance. Sometimes this happens in humans with a tumor or thyroid problems. ?♥️
Debbie Sides says
January 8, 2021 at 5:52 pmI think it’s wonderful! I love the fuzzy hair. She is soooooo cute! Love Ranabug!
Anella Stewart says
January 8, 2021 at 5:55 pmWow, our beautiful Rana Bug going from a completely hairless, smooth, wrinkle-free skin to growing lots of hair. Would this have a genetic connection to her woolly mammoth ancestors? How much hair is natural for elephants?
Carey says
January 8, 2021 at 6:24 pmI think this is stunning, simple !
Pam says
January 8, 2021 at 6:27 pmMaybe there is a woolly mammoth dormant gene coming to life ?
Pam Knaggs says
January 8, 2021 at 7:06 pmBless her! She is no longer stressed.
FRANCINE FORD says
January 8, 2021 at 9:14 pmBless her fuzzy little head…and back & ears & butt. Don’t y’all know us ladies tend to start sprouting hair everywhere? 😉 Maybe she’s decided that now she’ll be a wooly mammoth. Adorable Ms Ran a lam a ding dong! I love you!
❤?❤?❤?❤?❤?
Kat Blais says
January 9, 2021 at 7:23 pmGenerally, older elephants grow hair from their ears and chin, Rana has decided all of her body needs hair. 🙂
Sallie says
January 8, 2021 at 9:50 pmWOW! Amazing how Mother Nature accommodates the needs of her critters . . . This hair is a protector for Miss Rana, will stay in place until climate and perhaps, food shifts cause it to ease out, when it is safe to expose her skin. This will be a very interesting lesson in how healing works for individual elephants and any wildlife . . . LOVE you Miss Rana, and hope all of this change helps you adjust to a New and Beautiful world – and a Happy and comfortable skin to live in!
Alana says
January 8, 2021 at 11:09 pm“Ms Ran a lam a ding dong” perfect name! Love her to pieces.
Beji says
January 9, 2021 at 12:13 amRana is growing hair. My husband is losing his. He wants to know her secret!! Ha… also, just received my GSE t-shirt. I got the red, v-neck and it is way cute!
Victoria B says
January 9, 2021 at 12:40 am? ? Hair ? ?
Gayle Janzen says
January 9, 2021 at 12:51 amWGT Rana! If you could bottle your secret to new hair growth, you could make millions selling it to people who are follically challenged. You make us all smile whenever your nice humans tell us how well you and your new friends are doing. ❤️
Bo says
January 9, 2021 at 1:26 amIt’s Happy Love Hair!
SHEILA says
January 9, 2021 at 2:53 amOH WOW!!! HOW WONDERFUL SHE IS GROWING HAIR ON HER TAIL?I REAL FEEL BAD FOR THE LADIES WHO HAVE HAD THE HAIRS PULLED OUT I& TAIL BY THE ABUSIVE CIRCUS TAIL HOLDING IN RING? OR STRESS THEYVE LIVED WITH SO LONG!! RANA ?HAD BEEN SO EMOTIONALLY CALM AND LOVING SINCE DAY 1 WHEN SCOTT OPENED DOOR TO THE BARN CORRAL? IM SURE HER HORMONES HAVE READJUSTED AND THE HAPPY HORMONE HAS HELPED HER! PLUS 4 OTHER ?LADIES SHE LOVES! SHE IS ULTRA ❤️HAPPIER‼️ALSO VITAMINS AND DIET-MAJOR IMPROVEMENT TO HER BODY!! PERHAPS SHE WAS A NORTHERN ASIAN BORN. ELEPHANT WHERE CLIMATE WAS COLDER AND SHE HAD HAIR ! BUT THINK HAIR ON RANA IS GREAT? IF SHE TURNS INTO A WHOLLY MAMMOTH ELEPHANT THAT WILL BE EXTRA SPECIAL?
PLEASE PROVIDE A PIC WHEN SHES HAD SHOWER AT THE BARN WITHOUT DIRT ON HER SO WE CAN SEE HER FUR?
Rosie P says
January 9, 2021 at 4:01 amI know that elephants get some hair when they become elderly but this is thick and even on her tail! I see a few of the posts have already beaten me to the “hairy mammoth” likeness. We are obviously of the same mind! LOL!
Beautiful Rana, we love you even if you grow horns!
Cindy Norman says
January 9, 2021 at 11:05 amI truly believe this is evidence of pure contentment and no stress. Stress can do so much to our bodies and the lack of it allows the body to preform the way God meant for it to. It also shows that you guys are doing a wonderful job. I just can’t wait for some other lucky ele’s to benefit from sanctuary. Let’s also remember in our praying, all the chained up elephants in Thailand and Cambodia. I know there’s nothing GES can do physically, but let’s not forget. Thank you GES for what all you do for these wonderful creatures.
Jillyp says
January 9, 2021 at 2:44 pmAw hairy Rana – so cute. Perhaps it stopped growing before due to stress. Now she’s happy….. ??
I can’t wait to see how hairy she gets ? How fascinating and adorable xx ??
Katie Howard says
January 9, 2021 at 8:16 pmSweet, sweet Rana! She just doesn’t know any better! 🙂 Most of us LOSE our hair as we get older!
Sherry says
January 10, 2021 at 10:53 amBeautiful hair for Rana.♥️
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Rana Is Growing More and More Hair!