The July 4th weekend seems like the perfect time to celebrate Baby's new beginning and her freedom to simply be an elephant. ๐๐
After spending her entire life in captivity, first in a circus and later at a busy amusement park, Baby enjoying her new life at Global Sanctuary for Elephants.
When the sanctuary team first met her, they noticed repetitive swaying, a behavior often seen in elephants living with chronic stress or limited stimulation. Since arriving at sanctuary, that behavior has already begun to lessen as she explores a world filled with new sounds, scents, grasses, palms, ponds, and mud wallows.
Baby is enjoying her newfound freedom. She can take a bath when she wants. She can dust herself whenever she chooses. And scan scratch against a post, explore her habitat, or spend time in her barn if that's where she feels most comfortable.
Those choices finally belong to her.
To me, that's what freedom looks like.
As we celebrate the July 4th weekend, I'm grateful that Baby is finally getting the chance to simply be an elephant.
I'm also sharing a video of Scott giving Baby a bath. Elephants love water, mud baths, and dust baths to help keep their skin healthy. Baby didn't receive many baths before arriving at sanctuary, so this everyday luxury has been a wonderful treat for her.