Yesterday I had a thrill of a lifetime, we went to the Myakka Elephant Sanctuary about 80 minutes from our house. I had planned to visit during spring break but they were booked for all of March and well into April. It was so worth the drive and the wait.
Little Buddy had a rough afternoon Friday and a rough morning yesterday, something I am not used to anymore as his behavior has been really wonderful for several months. He is a growing boy with lots of hormones so that is not helping. I was worried the day was going to be ruined by his attitude but a long car ride seemed to help sooth out his grumpy wrinkles and he ended up having a really good time.
We opted for the Q & A encounter, it was more in my budget range but you can have bathing and food encounters where you get to take care of the elephants, wash them, learn about their needs, fix their food and help feed them. We learned all about the three elephants they have on site, two ladies in their 30's and the beautiful Asian elephant with the freckles is 52. We learned about how much they eat a day, their weight, different kinds of elephants and about their distinct personalities. The African elephant in the middle loves to grab everyone's hay and cause a bit of mischief, she's the one in the photo of both of us. They are all in the 7,000 pound weight range with the lovely African elephant in the bottom photo weight 7,900 pounds. They eat 300 pounds of food a day, 50 of grain, 50 of fruits/veggies and 200 pounds of straw!
I adore elephants and to be this close and learn was so wonderful especially as they are in a beautiful place where they are loved and cherished. To be able to be this close, touch their beautiful trunks and heads was so incredible. I even had one wrap her trunk around my leg and pinch me a bit on my ankle! I think Little Buddy liked the facts and as usual while we were there he wasn't that thrilled but perked up when we talked about the experience at dinnertime.
If you are ever in Florida I would highly recommend this adventure, it is a beautiful place taking such brilliant care of these beautiful ladies.
Hope you all have a wonderful week.
10 comments:
What an incredible adventure!!!! It had to be amazing!
That looks and sounds like a wonderful outing ! And the elephants look really impressive
What a thrilling experience for you both. I am fascinated by elephants and their behaviour. They seem truly dignified and have so many emotional characteristics.
Tough times for LB at this age mean tough times for you. I know you're weathering it all with your usual grace and bountiful love. Hang in there, Meredith.
What an amazing experience! What a thrill to be able to touch and see an elephant that close up! WOW! You two really had the experience of a lifetime!
That is so incredibly cool! That photo of you with an elephant over your shoulder is really something. What great memories!
Oh wow! What an adventure!!
Oh Mere, that's a spot I'd love to take our little guys to. The photos are terrific -- so close and able to touch them. I think I'd opt for the Q&A too, even though the other sounds interesting. It looks like it was just you two and that would be extra special.
What an amazing experience for you both!!! If I ever get to Florida, I’ll definitely try to visit this sanctuary.
Being in the presence of such amazing creatures is amazing. We visited an orphanage in Sri Lanka where there were baby elephants who used their trunks to explore everything. Such a great experience.
Wow! Sounds like a wonderful adventure for you and Little Buddy. I'm sure it is one he will never forget.
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