The touching reunion between a lost baby elephant and its mother was captured in a photo shared online last week.
When a picture is worth a million words ❤️ the rescued baby elephant after uniting with the mother takes an afternoon nap in her mother's comforting arms before moving again with the big herd. Picture taken by Forest field staff somewhere in Anamalai Tiger reserve who are keeping… https://t.co/EedfkKjLHj pic.twitter.com/ttqafSudyM
— Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) January 2, 2024
“When a picture is worth a million words,” wrote Supriya Sahu, additional chief secretary of the Department of Environment, Government of Tamil Nadu in India, in a post on X
“The rescued baby elephant after uniting with the mother takes an afternoon nap in her mother’s comforting arms before moving again with the big herd,” she added.
The search details were displayed in an earlier post added to X on Dec. 29.
The year ends on a heartwarming note for us at TN Forest Department, as our Foresters united a lost baby elephant with her mother and the herd after rescue in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve at Pollachi. The little calf was found searching for the mother when field teams spotted her.… pic.twitter.com/D44UX6FaGl
— Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) December 30, 2023
Sahu explained, “The year ends on a heartwarming note for us at TN Forest Department, as our Foresters united a lost baby elephant with her mother and the herd after rescue in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve at Pollachi.”
She continued, “The little calf was found searching for the mother when field teams spotted her.”
“With the help of drones & experienced forest watchers the herd was located and the tiny calf was safely reunited. Teams are still on ground for monitoring,” she concluded, thanking those involved in the reunion.
Elephants are highly social creatures that host strong bonds between mother and calves.
According to Elephant Aid International, “Elephants have one of the most closely knit societies of any living species.”
“Close family ties are crucial to birth and childcare,” they also note.
Elephants are highly intelligent and also considered “walking bodies of emotions,” according to Elephant Aid International.
They experience joy and grief, and deep attachments to their loved ones. They aid the sick and injured, as well as offer assistance to outsiders, Elephant Aid International said.
Their compassion has been captured during strange circumstances, including an event where “One elephant was observed trying to free a baby rhino trapped in the mud,” the organization said.
“Even though the elephant was charged by the mother rhino she continued working to free the baby,” Elephant Aid International concluded, displaying just how similar these creatures are to humans.