vocalizing Archives - Global Sanctuary for Elephants

Baby Communicates With Everyone

Sara — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 18:00:07 +0000

Baby has been meshing with Mara and Rana remarkably well. It’s a perfect example of how introductions and relationships don’t always go exactly as some thought they would; some may have expected Baby to become immediately close with Guillermina, but it turns out that relationship is taking more time to develop and deepen. Baby’s calm energy around the two grandmas shows what she’s capable of, and it’s definitely promising. In this video, Baby has positioned herself almost directly between the yard where Rana and Mara were hanging out and the opposite yard where the three girls, Maia, Bambi, and Guille, were stationed. Baby’s posture was alert and she was holding out and flapping her ears slowly to communicate her interest; she’s also listening intently to everyone around. We know that elephants send messages in lots of vocal ways, which Baby had been doing in this instance. But, elephants “talk” to each other using body language, just as humans do. Baby’s ears are sending a signal of curiosity and also listening for any audible or audible-only-to-elephants sounds that may be coming from either side. Just because elephants aren’t standing face to face doesn’t mean they aren’t communicating. There are so many ways they can send messages to each other that science may only have a simplified understanding of. Baby’s interest is a possible sign that she’s open to relationships with everyone around.

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Baby and Guille Are Working It Out

Sara — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 18:00:47 +0000

Baby and Guillermina are currently hanging out regularly, but still refining the terms of their relationship. They both have big energy, but those energies don’t always match in intensity at the same time. Guille had so much to learn when she was first new to sanctuary, so it’s possible she knows that it might take Baby some time to get the hang of these new attempts at relationships. Baby has so far been gentle with the grandmas, Rana and Mara, but she still needs practice with respecting space at times, particularly with Maia and Guille. When Baby is a little too exuberant for Maia’s taste, Maia simply walks away. Guille uses several techniques to try to slow Baby down, including turning her bottom toward Baby in a gentle way. Sometimes that works and sometimes Baby just needs a way to get energy out, which may result in a walk through the habitat, whether solo or with a companion. In this video, Guille leads Baby on a quick stroll (you can see Maia and Bambi by the fence in the neighboring yard) and trumpets for good measure. There’s a little bit of playful nudging and some attempts by Baby to put her trunk on Guille’s head. But Guille keeps her energy calm and may be trying to encourage Baby to settle a little herself. Eventually, they found a spot against the fence line and stood side by side, tails swaying in the wind. This is just an example of how elephants might not immediately be perfect communicators when it comes to engaging with non-family members after arriving at sanctuary. But with time and practice, everyone can learn to speak the same “language.”

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Sunday Smile: Good Morning Rumbles from Bambi

Sara — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 18:00:50 +0000

There’s something so heartwarming about hearing Bambi’s contented rumbles. When she’s calm, they are slow and deep and welcoming. So this Sunday, we’re beaming as we hear a sound that we’ve missed sharing with you lately: vocalizations between friends. As Bambi’s rumbles get louder, Maia begins to squeak. The two friends gently touch and pat each other with their trunks; their bond is undeniable.

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Bambi Wants to Keep the Party Going

Sara — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 18:00:32 +0000

The breakfast hour saw an eager Maia and Guillermina meeting their caregivers at the fence, ready for food. The two elephants certainly appeared hungry, but not all of the three of the friends were ready to eat; Bambi started rumbling loudly and in a seemingly celebratory way, standing at a distance. As the care team placed the elephants’ food in their respective spots, Bambi walked over to Maia, which kicked off a short-but-vocal party. The humans were delighted to wait for them to finish–and it seemed that while Maia eventually decided it was time for the morning meal, Bambi wasn’t totally ready to stop the fun. In case Bambi became ready to eat, her caregivers presented her with her customized meal. She began to rumble again, loudly and for quite a while. In fact, she stood vocalizing several feet from her food for a couple of minutes before deciding that maybe she was hungry after all–at least hungry enough to postpone the silliness for a little. After breakfast, Bambi and Maia showed interest in a hose bath and that began yet another party entirely, with Bambi as the clear initiator of all the hijinks. It appeared that nothing would get in the way of having a fun morning. Photo of Maia (left) and Bambi (right) around breakfast time

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Can You See Maia’s Rumble?

Sara — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:00:05 +0000

How keen are your eyes? Can you detect subtle movements? Can you sense vibrations? If so, you might be able to see the top of Maia’s nose move as she rumbles for Scott. It was morning and Maia was more awake than usual after breakfast. Bambi started rumbling and so Maia answered her with her own. Maia seemed really calm, so Scott decided to try and capture the vibrations and muscle movement that occur when an elephant makes such a noise. If you watch the top of Maia’s nose, you’ll see it move up and down as she vocalizes. P.S.: If you are interested in how elephants make the many types of noises they produce, you can read an EleFact about vocalizations here.

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Loving Touches and Vocalizations

Sara — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:00:49 +0000

The morning breakfast routine isn’t necessarily that routine at all, at least with regard to where it will be served. Caregivers don’t know exactly where the elephants will be when they set out to bring the daily meals. Often, they’ll place the girls’ food close to where they ended up after they awoke (which can be different from day to day), or the care team might want to change things up and encourage the elephants to eat their meals in a different spot or need them to shift a little bit for cleaning or any needed habitat maintenance. It’s also common for the girls to meet at the fence at meal time, since they know about what time their caregivers will stop by. That’s what happened on this particular day. The three girls–Bambi (left), Maia (right), and Guillermina (in the back)–shared their food side by side, as they frequently do. Bambi can sometimes be a slower eater, but Guille was polite and stayed away from Bambi’s food until she walked away from it; after Bambi was finished, Guille scooted over to help clean up the little bit that was left, staying there while her friends moved over a few feet. Soon a little mini-party erupted between the two ladies, with Maia squeaking excitedly and Bambi offering up some low rumbles. Maia and Bambi are incredibly affectionate with each other. They can be found gently caressing each other on the face or the belly, as they stand so close together that their bodies touch. Here, Maia is almost sucking on Bambi’s nose in an affectionate way and Bambi reaches over for Maia’s trunk and leg. Physical touch, like the rest of Bambi’s senses, may become increasingly important for her as her eyesight continues to decrease. Luckily, there’s an excellent chance that her friends will be present with her as the changes continue.

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