It was a joyous moment in May 2022 when Pocha and Guillermina, mother and daughter Indian
elephants living in Ecoparque Mendoza in Argentina, began their journey to their new home at the
Global Sanctuary for Elephants (GSE) in Brazil. At the sanctuary, they will share a home with elephants
Maia, Rana, Lady, Mara, and Bambi

Pocha, 55, arrived in Argentina from Germany in 1968. She gave birth to Guillermina at the zoo, so
Guillermina has never known life outside of the limited concrete enclosure in which she has lived. Each is
a bit overweight, though that may be taken care of once they begin their new life with more space and
activity options.

GSE is dedicated to helping captive elephants in South America live their lives with as much health
and freedom as possible. Five countries in South America have banned the use of performing elephants,
yet this was done without a full understanding of where the animals would go. There are an estimated 50
captive elephants in South America and the sanctuary in Brazil is the group’s initial effort to provide a
safe and secure environment for some of them.

MAFE is pleased to support GSE through our quarterly donation program. A donation of $250 was made
to GSE in May. MAFE supports bans on the use of elephants and other wild animals in performances,
including the one currently under consideration by the legislature in Massachusetts (Senate Bill
S.2251/House Bill H.3376). We regularly include elephant sanctuaries in our donation program. We hope
that you will consider them for your personal donations.

You can follow the progress of Pocha and Guillermina on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can
follow Massachusetts for Elephants on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as well.