Meet the Elephants: Mary and Sumithi have a POOL PARTY!

When it’s hot outside the keepers (also known as walking food dispensers) at elephant odyssey bring lots of food that floats and some toys down to the pool and call then the girls over some fun in the sun!

First to come play was Sumithi, or Smitty for short.  She is a 45 year old Asian that weighs in at around 8,000 lbs!  She is a little slow due to her arthritis but still has a lot of sass.  I think she was a belly dancer in a past life because she loves to balance logs and bowls on top of her head and walk around with them up there!  Her favorite part of the pool party is standing under the fountain and will even drink from it by shoving her mouth against the wall where the water spouts from.  This makes the water go everywhere and usually gets us all quiet wet!

Then Mary, AKA Mare Bear or Miss Mary, wanted in on the fun!  She is a 48 year old Asian who weighs in at 8,500lbs.  Mary is the matriarch of the herd, so when she came over everyone else took off so she could have the pool all to herself, just the way she likes it.  Being the matriarch she can be a little pushy with the other girls, but someone has to keep them in line, right!  Her favorite food is melons and when she sees you grab one her eyes get big and she is willing to do anything you ask her to.  However if you hand her a squash she will promptly throw it on the ground and give you a look that says how dare you!  When in the pool she loves to sit or lay down and float along the wall.  She will bat around a ball but loses interest in it quickly.  Then when she’s had enough she’ll take a big poop, and yes it floats, then lumber off across the yard to dust herself.  I guess no one taught her pool etiquette when she was calf!

Stay tuned for more installments so you can meet the rest of the herd – Tembo the intense African, Shaba the sweet girl, Devi the cutey pie and Ranchipur the big boy.