The Sanctuary’s Care and Veterinary team have made note of Shirley’s preference to stay close to the barn this spring. With her 70th birthday just a few months away, Shirley continues to inspire elephant lovers the world over with her perseverance and resilience.
Earlier this week, Caregivers couldn't see Shirley from the barn and discovered her exploring the very bottom of the valley at the back of North Yard. Her side was wet, indicating that she had just stood up from a nap. Caregivers then noticed a well-worn elephant path that they had not known existed until then. Apparently, Shirley frequents the valley in the middle of the night.
An individualized health care plan, including innovative medicated epoxy foot pads developed by The Sanctuary’s Veterinary team have allowed Shirley to continue to comfortably maneuver the habitat surrounding the Asia Barn. Always eager to accept a firehose bath from Caregivers on hot days, Shirley has been enjoying several long hose-downs this spring. During a recent bath, Shirley faced the hose with her ears out, letting the cool water flow down her head, ears, and trunk, periodically raising her trunk and opening her mouth to have a drink. After a few minutes, she walked over to her sand pile and tossed sand all over her sides and back. Shirley has also been seen standing in the middle of her mud wallow and tossing mud on herself for hours at a time.
Tarra has been making use of the entire Asia habitat, but is almost always in ‘Right Field’ for her morning meal.
One recent sunny afternoon, Caregivers were checking on Tarra at a training corral in the habitat, when Tarra decided it was time to cool off at the lake. She walked to the water’s edge and thoroughly doused herself before returning to the training wall at the corral to participate in her care and receive positive reinforcement from her Caregivers. (See Facebook Live Video). She has also been spending time at ‘Hidden Pond,’ a small pond concealed by a clump of trees, nearly a mile away from the lake.
SPRING APPEAL—Feeding a 9,000 Lb Elephant Takes a Team
In the wild, elephants will spend 18 hours or more a day foraging for food. In captivity, an elephant’s life looks very different. Planning and maintaining a high-quality diet for an elephant that weighs 9,000 pounds takes teamwork and professional oversight.
At The Sanctuary, each elephant has an individual dietary plan to meet her specific nutritional needs. Caregivers start their day at 7 a.m. and work into the evening, preparing meals for the elephants and then delivering them in the 2,700-acre habitat. Restaurant-grade produce is ordered weekly and has to be chopped into portions for meals. Grains are measured, supplements weighed and hay divided. Diets change seasonally as the elephants take full advantage of the diverse natural habitats.
ANNUAL ELEPHANT GROCERY LIST
An elephant’s weekly diet includes hay, Mazuri, spinach, peanut butter, fresh produce such as carrots, apples, sweet potatoes, celery, bananas, squash, broccoli, oranges, grapes, watermelon and nutritional supplements to assist with normal age-related changes.
Additionally, Caregivers provide food in goal-oriented ways that encourage natural foraging skills, as well as sensory activities, walking longer distances and enhancing brain function. For Billie, a 56-year-old Asian elephant who has arthritis, Caregivers provide a trail of food for her to follow with a favorite treat at the end. This promotes foraging and encourages her to take longer walks to alleviate stiff joints.
Providing Tange, Flora, Sukari, Nosey, Shirley, Tarra, Sissy, Debbie, Ronnie, Minnie and Billie with the care they need to live a healthy life takes a team that INCLUDES YOU.
Help feed an elephant through our spring appeal! We hope you will join us in 2018 as we celebrate another year of health and well-being and a future of gold-standard care for all. GIVE NOW.