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One of many things we know about elephants is that they walk very quietly. Because of this, they can sneak up on humans, animals, and on other elephants. 

Last week, Maia was spending her afternoon in Yard 4 and wandered over to the water trough. It was during the time of day when she tends to get a bit sleepy. The weather is hot these days and she likes to relax in the shade, lean up against a fence, or play in the water. It was certainly not the part of the afternoon when she’s at her most awake and alert. At this particular moment, Maia was in a very quiet and relaxed place and didn’t notice that Rana was walking up behind her. 

While Maia may have been a bit in her own mellow headspace, Rana also has a gentle presence that wouldn’t set off any energetic alarm bells for Maia. That allowed Rana to walk fairly closely behind Maia who, when she noticed, got startled and ran off into the bushes for a few minutes. But she knows that Rana is her friend, so her frightened state didn’t last too long. 

Maia and Rana have shared a little bit of time together lately. This, along with the change of energy in Bambi and Mara, seems to be helping Maia’s confidence grow. Just don’t sneak up behind her too quickly…

Photo of Rana, perhaps walking quietly