Everyone is pleased to see Nosey grow in confidence and build trust with her Caregivers, seeking out social and tactile opportunities with them. Nosey is very calm and sometimes playful when interacting with Caregivers, often leaning into the Protected Contact wall and resting her trunk on the bars. She is an eager participant in training for Veterinary and Husbandry behaviors and shows a preference for bananas, melon, and jelly beans as “jackpot” rewards.
Nosey is also an eager explorer. After spending a warm night in The Sanctuary’s radiant-heated barn, Nosey is always ready to go outside in the morning and gets very excited when there is new enrichment to discover. During the holidays, Caregivers had fun decorating a full cedar tree with grapevines, cereal, hay, and produce hung via a pulley system in her habitat.
During the winter months when the elephants spend more time in and near the barn, Veterinary and Care Staff plan and carry out annual physical and dental exams. Nosey came to The Sanctuary with a number of health issues, including hyperkeratosis (a thickening of the outer layer of the skin), osteoarthritis, and a bacterial urinary tract infection. After a little more than two years of daily individualized care, specialized treatments including medicated baths and moisturizing, and the freedom to express natural elephant behaviors such as rubbing on trees and rolling in mud, Nosey’s skin condition has greatly improved. Nosey’s persistent health issues are chronic osteoarthritis and abnormal ambulation in her right rear leg, presumed to be caused by long-term stress to her stifle joint (stifle is the joint between the upper leg and lower leg, similar to a human knee). Nosey receives laser treatments to relieve joint inflammation and is being trained to present her right stifle for radiographs. Because of her abnormal gait, special attention must also be paid to her feet to ensure the pads are evenly maintained. Nosey’s Caregivers were thrilled to report she easily learned to open her mouth for a dental check, and the Vet Team said her molars were in good health.
As we await final decisions regarding Nosey’s legal status, we are planning for her introduction to other elephants. Due to her history of exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis — as noted in her health records since 2012 — it has been recommended that Nosey remain separated from other African elephants at The Sanctuary who have no history of exposure to TB. Consideration of her health and well-being, as well as the health and well-being of the other elephants, is a priority.
Nosey currently has visual, auditory, and olfactory social opportunities with Asian elephants Shirley, Tarra, and Sissy, who share her history of exposure to TB. Even with a 25-foot buffer between them, Caregivers often observe the elephants rumbling with ears out, distantly communicating with one another. Our goal for Nosey is for her to have companionship with other elephants and to be integrated into a herd. Providing Nosey with access to other elephants will be a collaborative effort between The Sanctuary’s Veterinary and Husbandry Staff as well as outside experts.
We look forward to watching Nosey continue to build strength and confidence as she expresses natural elephant behaviors in her habitat and communicates with others of her own kind.