Summer is here, and for elephants at The Sanctuary, that means seeking out the ponds and lakes to swim in, dusting to protect their skin from the sun, and resting under the shady cover of trees.
Minnie and Ronnie Dusting
At The Sanctuary, summer is a time of activity for the elephants—with many of them set to explore their habitats among the greenery, making use of the ponds and lakes, and grazing alongside local wildlife. This time of year, it becomes clear that the elephants aren’t the only ones making The Sanctuary home, as Caregivers report seeing snapping turtles, box turtles, hawks, and deer on a daily basis. EleCam viewers often report catching sight of an elephant grazing alongside local Tennessee wildlife.
As a special summertime treat, African elephant Caregivers have been handing out popsicles to the elephants, and have prepared a shade structure made of pine trees for Rosie and Sukari. Meanwhile, Tange and Flora have been frequenting the pipeline and plateau, and Hadari has been traversing the dry creek bed in the South Yard. All of the Africans are also being sprayed with fly-spray to help with summer’s biting bugs.
Shirley at the Lake
In the Asian Habitat, Shirley and Tarra have been spending a lot of time together exploring the lake and its surrounding areas. Watch Tarra and Shirley at the lake in our latest Youtube video. Meanwhile, Sissy and Winkie have continued to spend the majority of their time together in an area of their habitat referred to as the 2nd pipeline, with occasional visits to the Pond Yard.
The elephants in the Quarantine Habitat have been spending more time exploring some of the trails cleared out by The Sanctuary’s maintenance team. Debbie, Ronnie, and Minnie have been seen spending their mornings dusting by Minnie’s pond, and their afternoons retreating to the shade of the pines in the “60.” Billie has been enjoying firehose baths from Caregivers in the mornings before embarking on her daily explorations.
Minnie and Ronnie in the Shade
Caregivers and staff look forward to seeing what else the summer has in store for the residents of The Sanctuary.
The Summer Appeal is Here!
Summertime also brings a new opportunity for you to help make a difference in the lives of all the elephants at The Sanctuary. Your contribution to the 2016 Summer Appeal will have an immediate impact by providing resources to meet essential mission-critical needs. Visit our online Summer Appeal page to donate today!