Mundy reunites with his “elephant” in Georgia

“I’m amazed, it’s amazing. It’s not even 24 hours and I’m so happy.”

These are the words of Elephant Aid International (EAI) founder Carol Buckley, who assured Mundy that she has reconnected with her “elephantness” at her new home at the Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA) in Attabulgus, Georgia.

Juan A. in Mayaguez for over 35 years. The captive African pachyderma at the Rivero Zoo is responding positively to its new surroundings, excitedly revealing to keeper Primera Hora that it is being grazed more often. Something the creature didn’t do in its previous home.

“Typically, when an animal is restrained and stressed, they start to “walk,” repeating the same path that defines the animal. Animals like bears and big cats usually do this, but elephants don’t,” he explained.

“When I saw her doing that at the zoo, I thought she just wanted to walk, that’s it. But once she came to Georgia, she no longer walked and even got along with nature easily,” he said.

And on her first day, Mundy was seen playing around the trees and interacting with Bo, one of the sanctuary’s Asian elephants.

“This morning Bo knew, he was acting very grand with his ears sticking out. Mundi ran to him and tried to scare him. Bo is very quiet, he is a bit confused, he seems to be wondering what to do. He walks,” he said.

Even the head of the EAI confirmed that the native Zimbabwean elephant came to interact with Darra, the oldest specimen in the sanctuary, which according to an expert in the care of wild animals, is very shy.

“Tarra is shy around other elephants and she thinks everyone is going to hurt her. But 20 minutes don’t go by and neither of them push each other, poke their ears or do some other defensive gesture. Both are very quiet, connecting their trunks from below to let each other breathe. They are a little more If proud, they would have made that gesture from above,” said Buckley, who has saved about 26 pachyderms since he started his rescue mission 40 years ago.

“So I decided to feed them both close to each other, but I didn’t put them too close, because the elephants are more likely to fight for food, and they are like children at dinner. Mundi put the food on the ground, moved ten feet away, Darra put the food on the ground, away from the elephants, “An incredible thing happened. Darra decided to take her food through the gate in front of Mundi’s eating place and the two dined together,” he said.

“Mundi is amazing, it shows that despite being alone for more than 35 years, these animals have never lost their wild spirit, it has never lost its ‘elephantness’. When you put them in a safe environment, these animals regain their essence,” he said.

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In terms of food, an elephant eats grass, grains – high in nutritional value – hay flakes and up to 15 pounds of agricultural produce three times a day.

For now, Mundy will be isolated in a seven-acre barn for at least a week as he adjusts to the presence of his new caretakers and continues to visit his field mates.

Once past that initial phase, the creature will move onto a 100-acre plot of land where it will thoroughly explore and learn until it feels safe enough to reach the 750 acres its father acquired.

“His house was then about a quarter of an acuward, which was a great difference, for it was half a cuirta reduced after the building of the shed and pool, which greatly reduced his walking distance. Here now there is plenty of grass, and a small tree where he can play and rest, and where he can splash whenever he likes.” There is also a small puddle,” he explained.

In addition, Buckley took the spot to thank the Puerto Ricans who were close to the elephant, after assuring them that “despite the circumstances she lived in, she received a lot of love.”

“Unlike the events I have seen in my life, it is remarkable that she was always surrounded by love. It is not difficult to come to the sanctuary and communicate with the staff who work here. This is the trail that many Puerto Ricans left for her,” he said.

Mundy, 41, arrived in Georgia last night, and the Puerto Rico Zoo in Mayaguez, which began Thursday morning, said Dr. Juan A. Rivera, after extensive transfer from

For 35 years, the elephant had been in Mayaguez Park under the care of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. But the state government signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice on March 8 that established that all animals at the closed zoo and those at the Campalach prison center in Arecibo must be transferred to the United States. In the states. The agreement avoids criminal and civil penalties for the mistreatment animals have received over the years.