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Bambi and Guillermina have had a number of playful encounters over the past couple of years. Guille has been known to get particularly spunky at times, with all of her youthful energy on display. Maia is often a more ready participant in Guille’s games than Bambi, but that doesn’t mean that Bambi doesn’t have moments when she wants to play. We witnessed one of those times this week. 

Shortly after breakfast was over, it began to rain lightly. As the rain moved in, the elephants began to do what elephants often do when they get a good shower: they get more energized. So, Bambi, Guille, and Maia walked down from where they had been eating, but Maia stopped to doze off under a tree–unsurprising for an after-breakfast Maia. Guillermina was walking along the fenceline, and Bambi began trying to put her trunk over Guille’s back. The two of them began to good-naturedly wrestle using their trunks. You can see in this video how they tussle somewhat, twisting their trunks around each other. At one point, Bambi even grabbed Guille’s tail and put it in her mouth. (Don’t worry: we checked her tail later and it was completely fine.)  

Their interaction was never aggressive, but rather just silly. Guille is feisty and is the stronger elephant. She could easily overpower Bambi if she wanted to. Instead, she leans her trunk on the fence casually, seemingly allowing Bambi to have the upper hand. It’s a charming moment where Guille appears to let grandma Bambi have the lead.  Eventually, Guillermina walked away from Bambi in search of scraps from breakfast, which she’s known to do. Bambi certainly has the ability to get frisky when she gets the urge, and she definitely showed that this week.