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At the beginning of this journey towards the development of Elephant Sanctuary Brazil, we said that we would share with you all of the elements of what it means to start a sanctuary. These are sometimes infinite joys and sometimes heartache, there are incredible trials and tribulations that we hope will soon be a distant memory. Many people see the glorified side but there’s a lot of work and immeasurable challenges that are required before the glory days filled with giant elephant smiles. This is a story of one of those challenges…

In a post a couple of days ago, we told you about the necessity to constantly adapt to whatever predicaments we are confronted by; this was in reference to the excessive rain that has hit our area. Well later that night, while working with our rental skid steer to clean the roads, one tire got a flat. 8:30 at night, in a light rain and with the expectation of a delivery the next day, there was only one choice- it must be fixed so we can be ready to go back to work first thing in the morning. However, we are still waiting for a vehicle to be donated, so we don’t have a way to carry the tire.

The tire was removed and the trek to the tools and the air compressor (recently purchased through our wishlist, thankfully) began. Weighing about 150 lbs, the tire was rolled about 1km (0.6 miles) up a rocky road that raises about 55 meters (180 feet) in elevation, passing through the soupy mud that was create from the delivery truck that was stuck earlier in the morning.

Some would say, just call someone to help but the nearest neighbor is more than 3km away and their small car would not have been able to pass up the hill. The neighbor on the other side of the property would not be able to pass down the hill. And the nearest tire repair shop is more than 90 minutes away. When left with few viable options and time being of the essence we simply did what needed to be done.

In these early days, there are infinite projects, including fixing the roads to ensure that they are passable in any weather is one. This is a time when every day counts. We can’t afford, or better yet, the elephants can’t afford for us to waste time waiting for the ideal solution, we just have to push through the challenges.

We fixed the tire, got back to work in the morning and then more rain has come and more rain and more rain. The delivery has been postponed until Monday or Tuesday…stay tuned, we have another update on this extreme rain that we hope to post tomorrow. And if you want to donate towards our vehicle fund, (it is an item on our wishlist that you can donate any amount to) my back, legs and arms, would greatly appreciate it! If you prefer, the elephants will appreciate it too-because all of this helps us expedite their arrival.

For the elephants!

-Scott

The photo- well, in situations like this, either you laugh or cry. We choose finding a way to laugh about it. And for you that know him from Tennessee, yes, Scott still does whatever it takes to help elephants.