Haere Mai / Welcome / Ayubowan (meaning in Sinhalese: long life)

The significance of the elephants for Rupi is that they are family-oriented beings who care for their young and will adopt the young of those who have lost their biological mothers. Elephants also mourn the loss of members of their whanau.

Another significance for Rupi is that the elephant ties back to her cultural background and is regarded with respect in her country of birth, Sri Lanka. Rupi also delights in the fact that the elephant’s bone structure in their feet is on tip-toe, which connects with her other passion, dancing.