Bathing Baby

 
Another responsibility we rotate on a daily basis is bathing Baby Menika. Menika was brought to MEF only a few months ago, and is 7 years old. She is very sweet, cheeky and acts entirely like a little puppy. She is very approachable and is treated quite differently than the other elephants, simply because of her age. The reason she is in MEF's hands is for Positive Behavior Training. Moonie, her mahout, has been working with her ever since she arrived and spends every morning practicing 'commands' (forwards, backwards, trunk lifts) and then takes her for walks around the estate.
     Every afternoon, Baby needs to be washed. As she is still very young, her bathing is different and separate from the other elephants. Instead of going into the river, Moonie grabs a hose, a few of us, some brushes, and we spend time scrubbing her. Part of the reasoning behind this is to get her trained and used to people, and the touch of people, as she will eventually join the other elephants' routines. Being part of this is a lot of fun. Gives me the chance to spend some quality time with Baby, watch her behaviors, laugh at her a bit, and get quite soaked along the way thanks to Moonie's hose skills (or lack thereof) and Baby's playful trunk getting in the way. She is constantly trying to snatch the hose away from Moonie so she can suck on it.
    Here are a few pictures from today's afternoon!

XOXO Nicky