I surprised my granddaughter with The Elephant Experience as an early birthday gift. She has been obsessed with these amazing, intelligent and majestic creatures for almost her entire life!
This was not her first encounter with elephants. In 2022, we visited The Elephant Sanctuary in Hugo, Oklahoma. She was 2 1/2 then and had no fear or hesitation when approaching these magnificent animals! It was no different this time either!
These incredible gentle giants were introduced with fascinating facts shared by the staff right from the outset. We got to meet Kitty (58), Rosie (41) and Becky (38).
After the introductions and a couple of quick demonstrations, we moved to the “bathing” pavilion. (Thankfully, it was a very short distance because it was bloody hot that day!) More interesting facts were shared as we all took our turns “bathing” Becky. (We were given a small scrub brush that had been dunked into a bucket of water and Mr Bubbles Bubble Bath.) Because there were so many people, we spent between 30 seconds to maybe a minute and a half “bathing” Becky. The staff were incredibly accommodating and friendly, capturing memories for us by snapping both photos and videos.
From there, we moseyed on over to the pavilion next to the bathing pavilion. We were given a brief — barely Cliff Notes-worthy — explanation and demonstration for their foot care. The entire process actually takes an hour to do all four feet. (I know we were all grateful they kept it short because of the Texas heat!)
Once the demonstration was over, we had another fantastic photo opportunity! The staff truly did capture awesome pictures for us!
Once we were back at the original pavilion, the staff continued to share their knowledge about these awe-inspiring creatures. They explained the difference between Asian and African Elephants. (There are quite a few: Asian Elephants are more closely related to wooly mammoths while the African Elephants are more closely related to mastodons; Asian elephants have five toenails on their front feet and four on their back feet while African Elephants typically have four and three respectively.)
The staff did say Rosie is the most vocal of all three ladies. They are not wrong! At times, Rosie sounded like she was barking! She is definitely a character!
The encounter ended with treats for the elephants and a final photo op for the humans.
The staff made learning about elephants fun and entertaining. There all so very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.
Helpful Tidbits:
* Dress for the weather! The encounter is 100% outdoors.
* If possible, bring a Yeti- or Stanley-type of mug filled with ice. (Bottled water is provided.) This will DEFINITELY come in handy on the blazing hot days!
* Wear comfortable shoes — preferably close-toed. There will be quite a bit of standing once you move to the bathing pavilion. (Plus, it will protect the toes and feet should they get accidentally walked on by a human!)
* It is definitely recommended to use the restroom before the experience begins. (You will not want to miss a single moment!)
When asked if she would want to go again, my granddaughter’s immediate response was an emphatic YES! It truly was an amazing experience!
