Blog

Because it’s the end of the rainy season (though the rain started late and has been continuing longer than expected), we are working on end-of-season footwork. As the elephants’ pads, nails, and cuticles soften up when the rain starts in earnest, they all get a few rounds of maintenance work done. We also do little touch-ups here and there as the wet weather continues to keep their feet soft. When it seems that the rain will be stopping soon, all of the girls get a checkup to make sure they are in tip-top shape. Of course, they’ll still get footwork done here and there during the dry season; we just like to take advantage of the pliable state of their feet when they are nice and soft. 

Rana had her main round of footwork a few days ago. She was perfect for three of her feet, but by the fourth she decided she was done for the day. That sort of thing happens on occasion and it’s why we plan things ahead of time. It’s possible that an elephant will be too tired to finish – or they just don’t want to do it, which is absolutely fine. Scheduling enough time in advance allows for flexibility. Rana choosing to finish early is part of the autonomy that comes with sanctuary. Of course, Rana did get her final foot taken care of. She still has some of the same ongoing issues that she has arrived with that need a bit of cleaning out and treatment. But her worst nail actually looks pretty good and her pads have thickened up a bit. We still have a couple of girls in line to be completed, but with rain still happening almost every day, we have some time.