Hadari explores Sanctuary!
Africa Care Staff share highlights from Hadari’s first two weeks in Sanctuary.
During the first two weeks of living in Sanctuary, Hadari has been busy exploring the 12.5 acres of the Africa habitat’s South Yard. She appears to enjoy foraging the variety of native grasses available to her.
It has been noted that she is venturing farther and farther from the barn each day and now beginning to navigate the valleys and hills available to her.
Care Staff are learning what browse Hadari likes best and have used her favored banana leaves and bamboo to encourage her to expand her explorations of her habitat.
Hadari’s first sighting of another elephant in Sanctuary was Tange, who came to the barn soon after Hadari’s arrival. Their trunks went up as sniffing the air in greeting and their ears went out but there were no sounds as the elephants viewed each other across fences and a one acre annex yard that lay between them. Later the same day, Flora appeared and there was a similar acknowledgement of a new presence. Care Staff was surprised there were no sounds made as Hadari and Flora and Tange watched one another from a distance.
Tange and Flora check out the new arrival in South Yard.
Two weeks later and all three elephants continue to be ever watchful as they stroll the fence lines that currently separate their habitats. It will be a while before the elephants share fence lines as staff prepares the habitat/s for Rosie’s arrival later this fall.
Hadari (left) Flora and Tange (right) view one another at a distance.
Hadari has also been meeting Staff and finding out in Sanctuary she can make choices as whether to be inside...
……or outside.
Care Staff reports that Hadari is becoming more familiar with her new surroundings, she is choosing to be outside the barn more and more. Hadari is also discovering her daily choices include when to explore far corners of South Yard and when to take advantage of the mud wallows near the barn. Making choices can be a new experience for elephants retired from public viewing.
Hadari spent more than 30 minutes covering herself with a layer of mud
on one day and vigorously dusting herself the next day.
Lots of new experiences are ahead for Hadari as she becomes more familiar with Sanctuary.
Sanctuary Staff thanks the many, many donors and Sanctuary supporters who have helped make this possible for Hadari and all the elephants living in Sanctuary.