It has been almost 20 years since a lone elephant named Sunyei was found in the wild in Africa. Even though she was very small at the time, she no longer had her mother. Fortunately, she didn't have to live long without parental care and love.
Learning to be an elephant
Sunyei was saved with the help of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya. It was there that she first met Benjamin, who is trying to replace the orphaned baby elephants with his mother. Under Benjamin's tutelage, Sunyei grew up happily and well, learning from him and other caretakers the secrets of being an elephant.
Benjamin organizes the daily care of the orphans and makes sure make sure they are always happy and healthy. Said Rob Brandford of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
She never forgot the kindness shown to her
In 2009, Sunyei was able to leave her guardians because they knew she was already able to cope without them. Despite living in the wild, Benjamin never left the heart of the elephant.
Although it may have been more than a decade since Sunyei back free, it seems she never forgot the kindness shown to her. – admits Rob Brandford.
The fact that she had not forgotten the kindness shown to her never became clearer than when Sunyei decided to emerge from the wilds to pay a visit to Benjamin – bringing her own child with her. She wanted the man who raised her to see them.
The charming moment is captured in the video below:
Simply magical 🐘
Head Keeper Benjamin catches up with an orphaned elephant he helped raise, who has been successfully reintroduced back to the wild but came back to say 'hello'. pic.twitter.com/dZcdg8ahOG
– Sheldrick Wildlife (@SheldrickTrust) August 30, 2021
The fact that a fully grown, wild elephant wanted to introduce her baby to the man who raised her this morning says a lot about the emotional intelligence of these animals and their sense of belonging to a family. She has gone back to safety to show off her baby to caregivers with whom she still maintains close ties! – explains Rob Brandford.
Extremely special moment
Interestingly, it was not Sunyei's first or last visit. Since that meeting, she has returned a few more times to see her guardian and show him how her child is growing up.
Although Sunyei grew up treating Benjamin and our caretakers as her family, any further interactions with them remain on her terms. This is what makes this moment so special … that she herself decided to show her baby to Benjamin. This shows a great deal of trust. – adds Rob Brandford.
Elephants are extremely intelligent and empathetic animals
Elephants are characterized by a very large level of empathy and intelligence. These pets have highly developed social skills. Elephants thrive when they live with other members of their species. These animals are famous for their empathy and can always count on each other.
Elephants often live in herds and develop deep bonds with each other. These groups include females and baby elephants that are still fed by their mothers. There are only a few male representatives in the herd. However, they are not the ones who rule the herd. The group is led by the oldest and largest female, because matriarchy prevails among elephants.
Like humans, elephants can experience and express many emotions such as happiness, sadness and regret. Representatives of this species also have the ability to express deep concern for another being.
