Visiting the Myakka Elephant Ranch

Lou getting a little drink

Here's a fun fact: Elephants can purr.  African elephants, that is, and only when they're relaxed and content. I learned this first hand during my recent visit to the Myakka Elephant Ranch. When my friend Carole hosed down Lou (the first step in giving her a bath), we could audibly hear the 9,000 pound animal purr with pleasure. But perhaps I need to back up a bit. 

The Myakka Elephant Ranch is dedicated to elephant conservation. In 1930, the world elephant population numbered 10 million. Today, only 400,000 elephants exist, with poaching of these glorious animals for their ivory a significant reason for the drastic reduction in numbers. (Sadly, COVID has had an adverse on the elephant population. As tourism dollars have plummeted, poaching has increased. The proceeds from one black market sale of ivory from an elephant can support a family for a good amount of time.)  The United States is home to a mere 300 of these mammals. 

Libbie and I scrubbing Lou down

The Jacobs family has been in the elephant business a long time. This being Sarasota, I assumed their elephants would be retired circus animals.  Well, you know what they say about assumptions. In fact, Lou, Carol and Patty are orphaned elephants brought to the United States for adoption. Lou traveled from Zimbabwe to Florida to live with the Jacobs when she was a mere 18 months old; she is now 37. Carol and Patty hail from Thailand and are 48 and 47, respectively.

Maintaining elephants is a costly endeavor, not to mention a lot of work. So the Ranch opens its doors six days a week to visitors who want to get up close and personal with the animals. One option for the outing was giving the elephants a spa day. Deb didn't have to ask me twice if I was interested in joining them for the experience. 

Deb getting Carol clean behind her ear

It's crucial for elephants to have at least one good bath a day. In fact, the USDA, which regulates the care of elephants pursuant to the Animal Welfare Act, requires it. Elephants' bodies absorb water through their incredibly dry skin. A good hosing down provides much-needed hydration and cools them off. (They also release heat through their hair and by fanning their ears.)  

The next step is to give the elephant a thorough scrubbing with a soap specifically designed for elephants, hippos and rhinos. The product contains aloe that remains after the soap has been rinsed off. 

A bit of a pedi for Carol

We were encouraged to get into Lou's every nook and cranny to make sure she was good and clean. The quadrant of Lou I was tasked with scrubbing included her rear end. It required a bit of finesse, as I was warned not to get behind her because her tail functions as a giant fly swatter. That was one experience I was happy to forego. 

The final step in the bathing process is applying a mineral-based oil on the elephants' toe nails. Again, it's all about moisturizing.  

You've probably noticed a difference in Lou's and Carol's appearances. That's because Lou is an African elephant while Carol (and Patty) are Asian elephants. There are two readily visible ways you can tell the species apart. 

Check out these ears!

First, take a look at their ears. African elephants' ears are much larger than those of Asian elephants. And then there's the fact that African elephants' ears are shaped like Africa, while Asian elephants' ears are shaped like India. (Of course, this only helps with identification if you have a working knowledge of geography...) Second, Asian elephants' skin is depigmented, with freckles appearing in these areas. 

The species have other differences as well. African elephants like Lou have two "fingers" at the end of their trunks that enable them to pick up objects as small as a dime. We got a display of Lou's dexterity when she unfurled her trunk and plucked a clementine followed by a small apple out of a child's hand. Asian elephants only have one "finger." This differential didn't seem to slow Carol down when it was lunch time as she happily consumed a healthy serving of the 200 pounds of hay she eats each day. (Each elephant also consumes 15 pounds of grain, with fruit and vegetables provided as a treat rather than a staple.) 

With Carol

Here are some other elephant factoids we learned during our visit. 

--Each group of elephants requires a matriarch to function peacefully. Lou naturally assumed this role for the Myakka group. When she's not around to mediate, Carol and Patty will push each other over a particular pile of hay rather than move on to another spot a few feet away. 

--Elephants throw hay and mud on their heads and backs in an effort to stay cool. 

--Their skin is essentially the same depth as that of humans, so they can feel something as tiny as a mosquito when it lands on them. 

Deb, Carole and Libbie with Lou

--Their ear canals are on the outside of their ears. This facilitates their amazing ability to communicate. They can hear fellow elephants "talking" up to five miles away. 

--All African elephants have tusks, while only male Asian elephants sport these teeth equivalent. Tusks can grow to 14' long and extend internally nearly up to the animal's eye. 

--Elephants can power lift up to 700 pounds with their trunks, which contain between 100,000-150,000 muscles. 

--It's true -- elephants have terrific memories. As they travel in search of food and water, they remember watering holes they visited years ago. Their memories extend to basic instructions provided by their trainers once they learn to communicate with one another. Repetition is the key. 

The Myakka Elephant Ranch currently has a spacious outside roaming area filled with tires, basketballs, tree limbs and other "toys" to keep the animals engaged. And while the habitat is more than adequate, it's about to get a lot nicer. Thanks to a generous donation, their current play area will soon be converted into a large swimming pool. Somehow I'm sure this new feature is going to be quite popular with the gang. 

As part of the renovation, another portion of the Ranch will be expanded to serve as the elephants' new dry habitat. With the expansion, the Ranch will become the sixth or seventh largest elephant conservation facility in the United States. The Jacobs' hope is to expand even more over time. 

The Jacobs' mantra is conservation, education and experience. They are convinced the best way to recruit supporters in the effort to conserve and grow the elephant population is for people to interact with the animals. It's a smart approach. Our "spa day" was a special experience and gave me a new appreciation for these creatures. It's also worth noting that a portion of the proceeds from every visit goes to The International Elephant Foundation in South Africa. 

For more information about the Myakka Elephant Ranch, click here. And to see Lou, Carol and Patty in action, click here and watch the first few minutes of this episode of Animal Outtakes on YouTube.