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Sunday Smile: Sandro’s Pond Fun

September 27, 2026

This Sunday, we want to show you a moment that some of you have been waiting eagerly for: Sandro has submerged himself in the pond! At first, he was more interested in making his own mud from the water troughs or splashing in the wallow, but he eventually made it to the yard where the pond is located and began to consider going in. We weren’t around to catch Sandro bathing, but you can see that we did find him once he’d coated himself pretty well. 

Something that may be evident when watching this video is his visible lack of strength in his legs and body. The slight incline to get into the pond is soft and has a gentle rise, so it doesn’t take large steps to walk out. In fact, when Baby spent time in the male habitat, she could go in and out of the pond without much trouble–and she was also a former zoo resident with limited space. Out of all the elephants who have been sanctuary residents, none have had to put in this level of effort to get out of the pond. But there are great positives about moving around in the water: his feet get softened and more prepared for the footwork that’s to come. And just as with humans and water aerobics, he can get exercise that’s effective and low impact by walking, or take all of the weight off of his body by floating. This may be Sandro’s first trip into the pond, but we suspect it may not be his last.

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Comments(13)

  1. REPLY
    Barbara L Smith says
    September 27, 2026 at 2:10 pm

    Sandro has a soft sweet expression. I imagine the water and soft mud feels wonderful on his feet. 🥰

  2. REPLY
    Zoi says
    September 27, 2026 at 2:38 pm

    So happy to see this handsome boy in the pond and learning he’ll have a pedicure soon! After these beautiful days Sandro is spending in the sanctuary his tests results will be pretty decent.

  3. REPLY
    Ada says
    September 27, 2026 at 2:38 pm

    Oh my goodness! Look at that mud on you sweet boy!😍I know you’ll gain muscles and strength in time since you have all that space to walk and roam and the GSE team look after your health🙂‍↕️🥰

  4. REPLY
    Sue says
    September 27, 2026 at 3:10 pm

    You are such a brave handsome boy, Sandro. It is endlessly inspiring to see what our beautiful Ladies and Gent are capable of and how resilient and determined they are to engage in their surroundings. i hope the pond brings Sandro endless hours of joy and relief. Thank you for sharing, and for all you do. ❤️🐘❤️ Love and hugs!!!

  5. REPLY
    Doe says
    September 27, 2026 at 3:25 pm

    Yeah Sandro! Enjoy your mud baths at the Sanctuary ‘Spa’. Sending love!

  6. REPLY
    Wim says
    September 27, 2026 at 4:26 pm

    He is in the water, that’s rather encouraging. However his immobility is a bit scary. Hopefully he can get stronger. 🙏🐘🍉

  7. REPLY
    Alida says
    September 27, 2026 at 7:14 pm

    Good job Sandro! ❤️ So many more discoveries to be made yet and I bet this is one of the best ones; all you have to do now is build up those muscles so that you can keep exploring your new home, love this sweet boy ❤️🐘❤️

  8. REPLY
    Lynne Russert says
    September 27, 2026 at 7:14 pm

    So happy he found something else new to explore! Such a brave boy! ❤

  9. REPLY
    Beci says
    September 28, 2026 at 12:23 am

    Yay for Sandro 👏🏻👏🏻🐘. He really does look like he has a smile.

  10. REPLY
    Patricia says
    September 28, 2026 at 6:14 am

    Sandro’s eyes seem to be coated with mud and I feel like it’s uncomfortable for him. I hope he and you human helpers get that sorted out, if I’m right. God bless all the ele babies and all you human caregivers, too.

    • REPLY
      Sara says
      September 28, 2026 at 1:47 pm

      He’s got the skills to clean out his eyes without humans getting involved.

  11. REPLY
    Johnny says
    September 28, 2026 at 9:56 am

    He has taken to his new home in amazing fashion. I think he’s blown all expectations of him out of the water.

  12. REPLY
    Terry says
    September 28, 2026 at 3:35 pm

    I am just so stinking happy for him! You guys are the best!!!

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