The Elephant Sanctuary’s
Internal Staff Newsletter
FROM ASIA:
�?This week the weather has been absolutely gorgeous with sunny days that allow
the girls to nap and warm up and mild nights that
encourage sleeping outside. And with Halloween,
this week has also meant pumpkins. And though the
girls have different styles when it comes to eating
them, they all seem to enjoy them. There’s Sissy and
Bunny, who seem almost as happy stepping on them
as they do eating them. Misty, who rolls hers around
for a bit, kicking it here and there before she eats
it. Dulary, who likes to break it open at the top,
then stick her trunk in and suck out all the insides.
Shirley, who tried to shove an entire enormous
pumpkin in her mouth several different ways, and
after realizing no matter which way she put it, it
wasn’t going to fit, then proceeded to step on it.
Tarra, who gently rolls her pumpkin back and forth
until it pops—that is if she can’t first fit it in her
mouth whole. And Winkie, who wanted to make sure
she got to eat her entire pumpkin, so she picked
it up and relocated herself further away from Sissy
before stepping on it. And if there is ever a part
they don’t want or they’ve had their fill, their sister
is always there to help them out.
FROM DIVALAND:
�?With the end of summer and the completion of the Phase II barn renovations,
the 3sum have moved back into their Phase II barn
and habitat. As they walked back over to Phase
II barn, Billie dawdled a bit to check out the new
patch of grass and a large wisteria tree! Lizzie led
the way and there were lots of delighted squeaks
and pops. Once inside the barn, they continued
their vocalizations and danced around each other
in excitement. When Ronnie and Debbie returned to
the barn well after dark, Liz greeted them excitedly.
She was standing in the open chute munching on
some treats with Deb and Ron on either side of
her, all touching each other curiously. It had been
weeks since they shared the same space, so this
was a reunion of sorts. The next morning the 3-sum
sprinted right out the barn door, down the alley
heading for one of their favorite spots, the sycamore
tree! The recent pumpkin delivery was met with
modest enthusiasm in Divaland. There was some
rolling and some popping of pumpkins, but only
Minnie and Liz devoured the entire pumpkin. Liz
used her foot to hold down the pumpkin and with
her trunk, scraped out all of the insides. With these
mild nights, everyone is enjoying leisurely strolls
through the woods, harvesting browse and sleeping
under the stars.
From AFRICA:
�?With the cooler nights and crisp mornings, it is surprising that the Girls are
still nowhere to be found. They all seem to have
found nice warm overnight nesting spots that the
Caregivers find (or fall into) by accident. These
nests are dug out by the girls themselves, becoming
cushioned dirt “beds�?which warm up quite nicely
when occupied by an elephant. It appears that the
extra leaves that are not needed for their comfy
nest beds make a tasty bedtime treat.
Project Manager:
�?Congratulations to Lorenda who has been named Project Manager. And thanks
to everyone in the office who picked up extra duties
for so long!
Ringling Trial:
�?This has been postponed until February. http://www.elephants.com/media/9News_
10_28_08.htm