Blog

As the days go by, Pupy is becoming more at home at sanctuary. We’ve watched her step further and further into the mud wallow, but she hasn’t fully gone in yet. She is playing there more and roughing up some of the clay at the bottom. This morning, Kat discovered a little trail where it looks as though Pupy may have laid down. It’s hard to tell because even Pupy’s walking causes grass to be pushed down in large areas. But it’s very possible that we found a little “nest” for sleeping, like we do with the Asian elephants. 

When we bring meals to the elephants, it always comes on the 4-wheeler. Of course, almost immediately after arriving at sanctuary, the elephants begin to associate food with the 4-wheeler and head in its direction whenever they hear it. This is true for Pupy as well. She seems quite comfortable following us to her food now. In fact, you can see the trees moving before she even gets near her breakfast or dinner. 

Yesterday, she was seen pushing on a tall tree. It wasn’t a large, thick tree, but it was taller than some of the smaller trees that she’s been wrangling with. She didn’t push it down. It turns out that she was just trying to strip some of the bark off, a common behavior for African elephants (and sometimes for Guille). She moved along soon after a few bites. Perhaps she didn’t like it, but we know she’ll be taste testing many of the trees in the habitat, perhaps finding a favorite snack soon.