FROM ASIA: Friday morning, when Dulary and Misty were on their way out of the barn, Dulary came to an abrupt stop, put her ears out, and lowered her head. When the caregiver looked to see what the cause was, it turned out to be a baby bird sitting on one of the bars, apparently too young to realize the implications of getting too close to something that size.
The baby peeped and Dulary put her eye right up to it and then slowly lifted her trunk. The caregiver asked Dulary to be "easy" and then offered her a banana to lure her away from the baby bird. Dulary gladly took the food instead of further examining the baby (who continued to cheep happily).
Misty was a different story. True to Misty’s love of life, she got all excited when she saw the little bird, putting her ears out and rumbling. She then decided she wanted to be friends and play with it, so she started trumpeting and kicking and spinning (sometimes Misty has no idea how large she is). She was also led away from the baby bird, over to where Dulary had been standing—but she tried to return to the bird. It took much more coaxing to convince her it was too delicate to play with and lead her to another open stall, ensuring the little bird’s safety.
And yes, while pictures would have been cute (kept thinking about it while it was going on), making sure the baby did not become an elephant toy ended up being the priority. The little bird's parents flew down once the girls had left and must have realized there’s a thing or two they still need to teach him.
FROM AFRICA: On a recent chilly day, Flora and Tange were both cat-napping in their stalls, taking advantage of the Sanctuary's warm heated floors and rubber floor mats. What was so amazing (aside from the fact they like to cross their legs like true ladies) was that they both happened to be crossing the same back leg! Perhaps another sign these two Girls are becoming closer every day. We just love it when they stand with their back legs like that – just love it!
