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Nosey Meets Sukari and Tange

From The Elephant Sanctuary
December 2024

Nosey met two other long-time Sanctuary residents for the very first time: Tange and Sukari. The interactions were seemingly playful and curious, with the occasional sparring session as the three elephants tested each other's boundaries. 

Elephant sanctuary residents

In October, Artie moved from the Elephant Health Care Center (EHCC) to his new home at the Bull Barn and Habitat. With this move, a new area called Sleepy Hollow became open to the female elephants residing at Asia Barn (Sissy, Edie, and Nosey).

Following Artie's move to the Bull Barn, Nosey surprised everyone by being the first to traverse the 60 acres of Sleepy Hollow, fully embracing the additional foraging opportunities and making her way to the the EHCC for her first visit! Upon her arrival, she was greeted for the first time by African females Tange and Sukari, who waited at the adjacent fence line in Africa Habitat.

As Nosey spotted Tange and Sukari, she confidently approached them. The greeting was warm but full of excitement—lots of large, flared ears and trunk-to-mouth touches. Tange leaned into the barrier and bent forward, then turned and presented her hind end to Nosey, in what seemed like an invitation to interact further. Sukari, on the other hand, maintained a dominant nature. When Nosey responded, Sukari quickly backed down, allowing for a more gentle exchange between the three.

For the next 30 minutes, the elephants explored one another. There were some gentle rumbles exchanged, and Nosey, while often distracted by the delicious tall grass growing in the alley, would periodically turn back to interact with Sukari and Tange. The interactions were seemingly playful and curious, with the occasional sparring session as the three elephants tested each other's boundaries.

The elephants gradually returned to their own activities. Although brief, this interaction was meaningful for both the elephants and The Sanctuary. We are excited about the potential these shared spaces offer for continued socialization and look forward to more interactions and greetings from the elephants in the future.

Posted on All-Creatures.org: December 14, 2024
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