They say elephants never forget, and here we have video proving that to be true. In this heartwarming footage, we see an elephant recognize and greet its longtime human friend. This gorgeous footage has been viewed over 11 million times, and it’s easy to see why.
elephant in thailand
Save the Elephants is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting Thailand’s elephant population. Thailand’s wild elephants are Asian elephants, whose numbers have declined from more than 100,000 to perhaps as few as 1,000 in the last century or so. This is caused by a combination of habitat loss and poaching. Although female Asiatic elephants have no tusks at all, their tusks and skin can fetch a fortune.
Asian statues are smaller than their African cousins, standing between 7 and 10 feet tall and weighing 6,000 to 11,000 pounds. Still, they are the largest land animals in Asia. They have two humps and small tusks on their heads. Also, the ears of Asian elephants are small and folded while the ears of African elephants are large and bulging. Finally, their skin is less wrinkled because they tend to live in humid climates.
They are very social animals and live in groups led by females – this is known as a matrilineal group. She is usually the oldest and leads a group of about 20 other women. The leader of this particular group is called Kham Lha. The female tour leader knows where local food and water can be found and guides the rest of her group.
touching reunion
In the video, we see Darrick, who used to work with the elephants but hadn’t been there for over a year, is calling out to the elephant herd. They walked up a river, then walked toward him nonchalantly. Elephants love water, and they spray themselves with a mixture of mud and water to help protect themselves from parasites and the sun.
At first the elephants don’t seem to recognize him, but then they pick up speed and you can hear them roaring at him!
As the herd gets closer, you can hear his cries and the elephant’s trumpet-like answers – it’s like an exciting conversation between friends you haven’t seen in years! Eventually the pals were reunited, and they gathered around their human friends, wrapping their trunks around him as he stroked and talked to them. It was indeed the most tear-jerking scene as more elephants rushed down the river for the reunion. Apparently Darick was just as happy to see them as they were to see him!
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I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
