Wild animals are wild, which is why it always warms our hearts when we see them in action like loyal pets. The herd of elephants ran to meet their friend Darik, a member of the Save the Elephants Thailand Foundation. The nonprofit works to preserve and protect Asian elephants and their habitats, as well as save a variety of other types of animals.
Darrick was away from Cambodia for 14 months, where he took part in the welcome of Kaavan, an Asian elephant that had been transferred from a neglected zoo to a wild elephant herd in Cambodia. Back in Thailand, Darik called out to the familiar herd of elephants he had missed during those long months.
The herd is called the Kham Lha herd, named after one of its youngest members, Kham Lha. Kham Lha was forcibly separated from his mother as a child and trained to obey humans and perform before being rescued from captivity. Now reunited with her mother, Kham Lha is still recovering and learning the healthy behavior of wild elephants. She formed a special attachment to Darrick and relied on other members of the herd to help “nanny” her, according to the SEF website.
roaming free
Elephants can roam the Save the Elephants Foundation sanctuary in herds just as they would in the wild. Many of the elephants in the sanctuary were rescued from unsafe conditions, where they were kept in captivity without proper care and stimulation. Save the Elephants works to rehabilitate them and help them learn to rejoin the herd. They also provide medical care when needed, which is usually the case.
In this video, Daric stands in a river that flows through the Sanctuary. He shouted to the cattle not far away. When the elephants heard his voice, they started rushing towards him, obviously happy to see their friend back.
The elephant hurriedly blew its horn and wiggled its nose in the water. Darik continued to call the elephants, waiting for them to come to him. The first elephant arrives and approaches Daric. He patted her face when the other elephants came over. Daric was surrounded, and he tried to get all his attention on them. He puts his hands on their faces or shoulders and smiles. The elephants also smiled and cheered at his return.
Daric was clearly the loyal watchman of the group. Standing knee-deep in water, he walks through the herd, calling each one by name and patting them. After such a long time, the reunion is very emotional.
next…
- Ellie’s Elephants: A Video About Asian Elephants
- Types of Elephants: 3 Types of Elephants
- Heartbreaking Thai baby elephant and mother rescue will make you smile
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.
