Mae Tee Finds Friendship in a Former Foe??
Since losing her best friend and constant companion, Mae Tee has spent the majority of time on her own, which is something that she is not used to. For the first week after Mae Kham Geao’s passing, Mae Tee seemed to be in a deep depression and we feared that she might just give up. But as time passed, she appeared to put her sorrow aside and accept her circumstances, deciding that she still had the will to keep going.
Most recently, Mae Tee has taken us all by surprise and seemed to align herself with a very unlikely cohort —our 12 1/2 year old bull HOPE!!!! In the past, Mae Kham Geao and Mae Tee were nothing short of terrified when Hope passed by, his spirit and energy a bit too much for them. Whenever Hope’s silhouette graced the horizon, getting larger with each onward stride, Mae Tee would often tremble in fear, unsure if she had the mobility to move out of his way in time.
At first this possibly ‘dangerous’ liaison seemed to be just a coincidence. Mae Tee and Mae Kham Geao used to spend part of their mornings near to Hope’s shelter and so it seemed that Mae Tee was just in the habit of going to this area. Soon though, despite it obviously being Hope’s territory, Mae Tee was often seen under his shelter scratching on the posts. Of course Hope was not actually present during this time and upon his eminent arrival, Mae Tee shuffled out of the area as quickly as she could. What we noticed is that she did not choose to move completely away and sometimes stayed where it would be possible for him to reach her.
When Hope actually did wander over to reach out and give Mae Tee a sniff, she held still and let him, seeming to enjoy his attention. From that moment on, these interactions started to become a regular thing. Mae Tee would linger in Hope’s area waiting for him to arrive. Soon he was slightly behind her or next to her, rubbing against her in a boyish manner, draping his trunk on her as well. Whenever it seems that Hope may be getting a little too personal, Mae Tee edges slightly away, setting the boundaries for what she will put up with. When Hope seems to settle down or wander off, losing interest, Mae Tee moves back into his area, looking for more interaction. Thankfully Hope seems to be aware of Mae Tee’s frailty and is gentle with her for the most part. On a recent occasion, Hope was feeling a bit playful and goofy and actually laid down next to Mae Tee stretching his trunk out seeming to tickle her feet and playfully reaching up towards her belly. As Hope got to his feet, he noticed he had observers and appeared to feel quite bashful being caught in such an emasculating act!
Besides hanging with Hope, Mae Tee is really getting out these days and is heading further and further afield. She does not come to the platform but prefers the grassy areas out behind Hope’s shelter. Due to her age, poor joint condition and the fact that she does not lay dawn to sleep, she still has chronic foot problems which need daily treatment. Mae Tee endures the medical treatments, cooperating as best as she can, seeming to understand that we are trying to help. With no other possible friendships on the horizon, Mae Tee seems content for the moment with her bull size bodyguard and unlikely comrade!
