Elephant Aid International

Category: EleDiaries

Read the EleDiaries blog series for observations and insights from Carol Buckley on the Elephant Refuge North America elephant residents – Bo Tarra and soon-to-be Mundi!

Bo’s Late Night Communication

Last night I was treated to the sweetness of Bo, a memory forever embedded in my mind and my heart.

Feeding the elephants in the dark of night is always a surreal experience for me. I cherish the time. The elephants are in an ultra-relaxed mode and the landscape looks altered. My senses are heightened because my vision is reduced resulting in plants and tall grasses creating images not seen during the day.

At night feed I tend to take the same trail in search of Tarra and Bo. Yes, they are smart and know what path I will take and at what approximate time I will be driving by. Headlamps and flashlights are of minimal assistance in such a vast habitat, so I have to remain patient and alert.

Driving the ATV at elephant walking speed of 1.5 miles per hour, I scan as best I can. Even with the illumination of three different light sources, elephants can blend into the surrounding landscape well. At times they can be hard to find, especially if they are standing perfectly still and silence.

When it comes to the thrice a day supplemental feeds, both Bo and Tarra want to be found. Most times Bo stands in the middle of the path, while Tarra stands to the side, like a hitch hiker waiting for a ride. When I see them I feel a deep joy and appreciation for my life. I am thankful for my good fortune to be living with elephants.

Last night was a little different. Late in the day Bo had wandered from the 100 acre habitat, through the new habitat access alley into the 750, visiting areas he hadn’t for several days. Tarra remained in the 100, grazing away with her flock of loyal feathered followers.

Tarra was an easy find, standing just off the path, broadside so she wouldn’t be missed, mouth gapping open in her “if I don’t eat now, I certainly will starve to death” pose. She cracks me up! I put out her produce, grain and a bit of hay and was having a conversation with her when I heard the unmistakable bellow from Bo. This is the first time he and Tarra have been in different areas, and I believe he wanted me to know where he was.

As soon as he bellowed, I responded with, “OK, I hear you, be right there.” And that was it, he had sent me a message telling me exactly where he was. My heart was exploding, my joy indescribable, my appreciation for he and Tarra deep and immeasurable.

Our lives together are full of understanding, acceptance, and love. This is heaven!

October 14, 2022
A Bo Breakthrough!

Each day is filled with so much joy and so many surprises, writing it down usually escapes me because one wonder is quickly followed by another. But what happened today feels extraordinary, requiring written documentation.

Most of you know Tarra to be a chatterbox. She expresses herself vocally, all the time! Her endless chatter is one of her most endearing qualities and one that I have always encouraged.

When Tarra was much younger, before sanctuary, I remember being chastised for allowing her to talk. The claim was that she would be spoiled, talk back to me and eventually become dangerous. I saw it differently. Her enthusiastic chattering felt like her way of communicating what she was experiencing and feeling. I encouraged it.

Although Bo has been known to chirp and talk a little, it is not something he does on a regular basis. In fact, he goes for weeks without saying a word.

Experiencing Bo’s lack of verbal communication has caused me to question how he feels. Is he secure and comfortable? He appears content, but why is he silent?

Today everything changed.

I was hanging out with Bo and Tarra in the habitat, while contractors installed fiber for our expanded Elecam project on the other side of the fence.

Bo and Tarra were both very interested in what was going on but after about an hour, Bo lost interest and started grazing in the opposite direction. He took a few steps and let out a one syllable high-pitched chirp.

I immediately responded, praised him for talking and returned to watching the contractors.

But then he chirped again, which got my full attention.

A conversation ensued. Each time he chirped, I responded, and he’d chirp back. This happened multiple times. We were having our first two-way conversation. It was exhilarating.

I was filled with an indescribable joy of feeling this was a profound breakthrough. Bo was open and soft, engaging me for the first time in such a personal way, and I was beyond honored.

Timothy Grass

August 11, 2022
Bo Comes First!

When I claim that elephants come first in everything we do, I am not exaggerating. With that philosophy we clearly know what decision should be made in all situations concerning our elephants. This morning was no exception.

Bo spends all his waking hours out in the habitat, grazing, exploring, browsing, bathing and even napping during day light hours. But when it comes to sleeping in the dark, Bo retreats to the barn with its sand filled stalls and open doors.

From the looks of it, Bo had a long night of grazing because he was still sleeping when staff was scheduled to arrive. Text messages were sent informing staff, “Bo is still asleep, do not drive through the front gate.” This decision was made knowing that a vehicle passing the barn could wake Bo. Our goal is his health, and sound sleep is a big part of that.

8am, 8:30, 9, and now 9:16 as I am writing this post, Bo is still sound asleep, non-invasively observed through the barn nanny cam.

Staff are patiently waiting at the front gate, content knowing that Bo’s needs are our primary focus.

April 13, 2022
Elephants and Stereotypical Behavior

Let’s talk about stereotypical behavior, what it is and why captive-held elephants engage in it. The facts might surprise you.

Self-stimulatory or stereotypic behavior is defined as the repetition of physical movements. Two commonly recognized stereotypical behaviors exhibited by captive-held elephants are head bobbing and swaying.

Elephants might engage in these behaviors when they feel unstimulated or as an anticipatory reaction to their normal routine, such as regularly scheduled access in or out of a barn or feeding time.

Fear can also cause an elephant to engage in stereotypical behavior, in which case the head bobbing or swaying is overly exaggerated, fast paced and pronounced. When the cause of the behavior is boredom or anticipatory, bobbing is slow and rhythmic.

Stereotypical behavior is the elephant’s way of managing stress, a calming mechanism that creates endorphins that soothe the elephant. While humans might engage in physical exercise, meditate or take drugs to deal with stress, elephants have this natural mechanism to accomplish the same thing.

When caring for elephants in captivity, the goal is to provide an environment that minimalizes the incidence of self-stimulatory behavior. But stereotypical behavior is common and can be displayed when elephants anticipate feeding or experience a change in routine. It’s important to identify the cause of the behavior, fear or anticipation in order to modify existing routines to avoid that response in the future.

Facilities that strive to provide optimal welfare understand that allowing elephants to engage in prolonged periods of stereotypical behavior is unhealthy. Employing behavior enrichment and attention to space and social situations are practices designed to reduce stereotypical behavior.

It is unclear whether captive-held elephants can live a life completely free of stereotypical behavior. But it has been proven that access to a vast, complex space can occupy an elephant and provide the stimulation needed to greatly reduce their need to self-medicate.

January 25, 2022
Cooperation, A Choice

In the 47 years that I have been blessed to be around elephants, they never cease to amaze me. They demonstrate every day that they are not only intelligent, but highly evolved, sentient beings who are able to communicate and understand others far beyond anything I have ever experienced.

Tonight’s “feed” was like any other: prepare diets, load the ATV with hay, fill grain buckets and head out to the habitat in search of Bo and Tarra. Usually, Bo is close to the barn for the night feed. Tonight, he was inside. I’m always looking for an opportunity to share some quality time with him, so instead of leading him out into the habitat as usual, I decided to stop at the barn and give him his supplement filled apples, just him and me.

As I handed Bo his apples my glove slipped off along with the apple and both went directly into his mouth. I said “Oh dear,” but just as quickly as the glove disappeared into his mouth, he spat it out. I knew eating that small glove would not hurt him but nevertheless I was relieved that he spit it out.

Glancing at the glove on the ground right underneath Bo, I knew what would happen next.

You see, Bo has a playful habit, one shared by many elephants, of smashing, chewing and absconding with any non-food item in reach. Buckets, feed bags, even gloves make for great, although short-lived, toys. So, I figured that my glove was a goner.

I hoped that he would ignore the glove long enough for me to distract him into the next stall with hay. But he was too quick. Before I could do or say anything Bo reached down, gingerly picked up the glove and with precision handed it directly to me.

Yes, I know, Bo has probably done something like this a million times. He performed for decades. Picking up an object and handing it to a trainer is a common trained behavior. But not with me, not here, not when he was not asked to pick it up. Bo made the decision to not chew it, tear it up or toss it over his back. Bo made the decision to hand it to me. His decision.

All I could do was laugh and thank him. After praising him profusely, I walked away feeling blessed that he was willing to show me this side of him. Cooperation is a choice, and that was the choice he made.

January 5, 2022
Tarra In Charge

Tarra In Charge!

Over the past several days it has become crystal clear that Tarra is in charge of how her bonding dance with Bo proceeds.

Mornings seem to be the best time for her to be interested in Bo’s attention. For Bo, any time is a good time, but he is very sensitive to and respectful of Tarra’s need to determine when, where and for how long they interact.

It begins with Tarra approaching Bo, casually acting like she is simply grazing in his direction. But one look at her face and you can see she is calculating her next move. Not in a bad way: she is light and comfortable, obviously not afraid of Bo.

And Bo has never given her a reason to do anything but trust him. He never encroaches on her space without her permission, doesn’t attempt to take her food and crowds her only when the water is on and they can drink directly from the hose. (They both prefer flowing water opposed to standing water. Who wouldn’t?)

This morning I was not at the trough with the hose. Rather I was glued to the EleCam, so excited about the display of interest and affection being shared between Tarra and Bo. As we’ve observed in the recent past, Tarra initiated the exchange, slowly backing up until her rump was touching Bo, who responded by gently running his trunk across her body, reaching for and smelling her ear. If he were a breeding bull he might, at this point, have tried to mount her. But instead, he moved up next to her so their bodies were touching, as their trunks explored with feathery touches, both of them calm and receptive.

This display of exploration and interaction continued for about 10 minutes when the need to graze overtook them both and the moment was gone, but not lost or forgotten.

The EleCam is such a valuable tool, a thrilling opportunity to be a fly on the wall to Tarra and Bo’s blossoming relationship. They’ve been together for 5 weeks now, which is not a long time for their relationship to have developed to this level. It is very heartwarming.

December 27, 2021
Bo’s Busy Browsing!

Anyone watching Tarra and Bo on the EleCam today finally got to see what Bo does when he’s at the migratory bird pond.

Today he was browsing. It was fascinating to watch him rummage around and through the variety of live vegetation of bushes, trees and vines. Imagine his wonder in realizing this is food, there for him to eat at any time.

Freedom of choice is not limited to where Bo wanders and who he socializes with. It includes what he eats as well. Selecting, collecting and eating is a fulltime job for an elephant. In nature, elephants are known to engage in eating activity nearly 20 hours of the day. And Bo proves this to be true.

Until today I’d not been able to observe Bo browsing. I must admit that I was seriously impressed by his grazing skills immediately upon his arrival in September. I guess with so much grass to graze, browsing was not a priority. But with cooler weather the grasses are becoming dormant, shifting the eating option to browsing.

I suspect that browsing takes an added set of skills. The first is recognizing that those bushes that block your path, the vines that catch on your ears and head and the tree branches that you thought were simply for scratching are also delicious and nutritious food.

Today was thrilling because Bo was in full Elecam sight for an extended time while he browsed. He demonstrated how he first selects and then collects the different vines, branches and bushes. Using his trunk, he grabbed his selection and tugged until it broke free. The vines appeared to be the greatest challenge since they were wound around bushes and tree branches and difficult to break. But Bo’s persistence won out and he browsed to his tummy’s content.

Oh, the lessons they teach us if we take the time to observe!

December 20, 2021
A Handy Solution

Yesterday when Tarra was getting a drink, Mala was doing her regular leg, foot, tail and trunk inspection. She calmly walked around Tarra in her usual way, under her belly and around her legs, sniffing her feet and her trunk, looking up at her face curiously. Tarra stood perfectly still and did not utter a sound. This is her way of making sure that she doesn’t frighten Mala, or any other dog who is brave enough to approach. She just loves it when Mala comes around and they both appear to savor every bit of the attention they share.

When Tarra was done drinking and I was about to leave she reached her trunk toward my hand and started chattering. She knows that when I leave, so does Mala, and she apparently had not gotten her fill of dog attention. So, she took my hand with her trunk and ushered me to sit on the ground. You get it, she holds my hands and gently but firmly directs me to sit on the ground under her chest in front of her legs. Imagine an usher in a dark theater firmly directing you to your seat and you’ve got the picture. She has done this a million times. I can’t help but laugh, tell her not to hold my hand SO tight, and feign resistance as I wholeheartedly yield to her wishes.

Tarra knows from experience that with me sitting directly under her chin she’ll be involved in doggie play. Of course, I know the drill, Tarra holds my hand so that when I play with and pet Mala, Tarra is petting her as well. Ingenious, no? She is so clever. By using me as the middleman, Tarra gets to pet Mala! And most times, just when Mala is all played out, she will sprawl out, frog style, right in front of Tarra and allow her to gently rub her belly.

Tarra so enjoys Mala’s company that I never refuse her desire for doggie play. Being the middleman is my part, which I find both rewarding and an honor.

This photo was captured from the EleCam. Its blurry but gives you a visual of Tarra’s ingenious manipulation!

December 11, 2021
Tarra Leading The Dance

After feeding Bo and Tarra this morning I was mesmerized watching them on the ELECAM. They were fed closer together then usual, so I was curious how both would respond. They spent a good hour savoring their produce, grain, and since the winter pastures is a bit sparce, they also had a pile of hay each.

After both had finished and were now grazing, I noticed that Tarra, instead of wandering off to her favorite grazing place, was looking over at Bo. Then surprisingly she started moving in his direction. This was a first in the relationship dance. Usually Bo is the one who approaches first, but this morning it was Tarra who was showing interest.

Now some might say, oh, she wanted to see if he left any food and I considered that. But as I watched I saw that Bo had finished eating and was already grazing in another area. And Tarra was moving directly towards him, not towards the area his food had been dropped.

Then for the next 10 minutes Tarra continued to slowly move in Bo’s direction, unhurried step by step, stopping to occupy herself with grazing and watching Bo’s reaction. Bo appeared quite aware of Tarra’s interest, and he played it cool. He glanced over at her every few steps she took, all the while continuing grazing.

Tarra appeared cool, calm and collected. How could I tell? Well, her body was relaxed, she wasn’t holding her head high, and she was approaching Bo head on. Tarra is known for backing into a situation when she feels unsure of the outcome. Maybe because that way she can make a quick exit if needed. But here she was, walking slowly, calmly towards Bo, apparently feeling quite secure. Bo was amazing. He is so savvy. Raised around a large family of elephants, Bo learned social skills. He uses these skills with Tarra and is working magic with her.

After about ten minutes Tarra closed the distance between them and was standing right next to Bo. I realized that I was holding my breath, so excited about this development, and had to remind myself that I was watching on the ELECAM, so breathing in no way could disturb them. I must have called Suzanne 4 times saying “Are you watching this? Are you recording this? Wow, oh wow.” Suzanne just laughed.

This continuation of the relationship dance was glorious, precious and exciting. After about fifteen minutes Bo took a few steps closer to Tarra, they stood side by side, just being together. Then with no urgency or even a sense of dismissal they both started grazing in different directions, Tarra to her favorite area around the giant oak trees and Bo in the wide open pasture by the pond. It was another good day in Bo and Tarra’s world.

December 8, 2021
The Relationship Building Dance

I am bursting with hope for the future for Tarra and Bo. We wish for the best for those we love. We assist in any way possible to make them feel safe and cared for. We lose sleep wondering if we are doing all we can or should do, deeply wanting them to experience a fulfilled life. And when the clear demonstration of their positive growth and comfort stares us right in the face, our heart sings.

That is what happened today. This afternoon anyone watching the elecam witnessed the blossoming relationship between Tarra and Bo. Without question Bo wants the relationship, does his best to make Tarra feel safe, and is more patient than anyone I know.

Due to being raised a single elephant, Tarra has trust issues with elephants. Her default when in an uncomfortable situation is to walk away and be alone. The exciting news is that things are changing with Tarra and Bo.

Today I watched as Tarra and Bo tested personal boundaries, slowing weaving in and out of the other’s space. Bo is a pro, having lived with elephants nearly his entire life, it was breathtaking to watch how well he did. Tarra was interested, engaged, and willing to allow Bo into her personal space and then out again, within limits. This relationship building dance went on for almost 4 hours and it was a joy to behold.

When the dance concluded they stood calmly 50 feet apart grazing contently, while I watched in tears. I am so happy for them both. There will be more relationship dancing to come, I am sure.

December 3, 2021
A Flash In The Dark!

Last night on my way to bring Tarra and Bo their night feed, I sped down the paved road which divides the 100 acres from the 750, deep in thought. A flash of light to my left caught my eye. It was Bo, the headlights of my UTV reflecting off his tusks. But he wasn’t just standing there grazing. I had to do a double take and realized he was racing the UTV. Squeaking and trumpeting with complete abandon, he was having so much fun! Of course, at that point so was I.

What a sight he was, this magnificent playful giant, racing along the fence line shoulder to shoulder with me. No worries, he was on his side of the fence, and I was on mine.

I broke out in laughter, encouraging him which only egged him on. His playful trumpets were deafening. I cannot imagine what the distant neighbors thought. Bo raced, and I raced, and when we arrived at the barn, he let out a series of powerful trumpets and spun in a triumphant circle dance…I guess he won!

December 2, 2021