http://www.elephants.com/elediary.htm

February 2, 2006

Liz and Queenie arrived today without incident. Both their loading and unloading was trouble free. Liz was fearless as she explored the barn and later the habitat. Queenie was overjoyed when she saw that her dear friends Lottie and Minnie were there to greet her.

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January 31, 2006

Lottie and Minnie arrived at the Sanctuary at 12:00 noon. Their trip was uneventful; they remained calm throughout the trip. Lottie had loaded into the trailer first, so she would be second to unload. Minnie, on the other hand, had backed into the trailer, which gave her a full view of everything unfolding as preparations were being made for her unloading. She watched curiously. When the final bar was removed, Minnie effortlessly stepped down from the trailer into the barn. She immediately found the hanging toy and swung it around, then turned to face Lottie who was still in the trialer. Scott removed the bars in front of Lottie and she calmly stepped out of the trailer. The two elephants exchanged affectionate touches and soft whispers with their heads held close together. Without a bit of apprehension, both Lottie and Minnie entered the restraint chute and stood on the scale. Lottie went in first, weighing 8,550, and then "tanker Minnie", weighing a whopping 11,130 pounds. Minnie is our new heavyweight Sanctuary resident, even bigger than Shirley and MIsty.

Lottie proceeded to the exit door, stuck her head through the rubber flaps, momentarily stopping, and then walked right outside. It was amazing to see her and Minnie exit the barn and enter the habitat in such a graceful, confident manner, exploring every inch of their new surroundings as they went.

The remainder of their day was filled with exploration and the uninvited intrusion of playful dogs as they ran past, engaged in their own adventure, completely oblivious of the newcomers.