When we have a pet as a part of our household, it seems as if they become a member of the family almost immediately. There is something about the closeness that develops between humans and the pets under their care that is just touching to the heart. When we are nearby, they want nothing more than to be closer to us and when we call out to them, they will come running to our side. It is that type of friendship that really lets us know that pets are the most wonderful thing in our lives.
Darrick also recognizes this fact but it isn’t a dog or cat that he is close to, it is a herd of elephants at the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand. He loves all of the elephants at the nature Park but he has a particularly close bond with Kham La. When that elephant hears him calling, they don’t waste any time coming to him. That is what you are going to see in this footage and when you observe what happens, you will understand why this is viral.
Darrick is a volunteer at the park so he has the time to observe the elephants in their habitat. He has grown quite close to them over the years and they built a trusting relationship that includes lots of rubs, cuddles and playtime.
An elephant named Kham La is the closest of the elephants and she loves her human friend with all of her heart. That is why she gets so excited, along with the rest of the herd, when he comes to pay a visit. When they hear him calling for Kham La, they all run to his side.
It is heartwarming to see the entire herd of elephants running to a man who was calling for them. They may be large in size but it is their heart that really stands out as being the largest part of them. They recognize him as a member of the family, and we all love seeing it.
These elephants are wild animals but they still treat Darrick as if he is a true friend. He has been patient enough to build the trust and it certainly is paying off.
The Elephant World website says that this type of interaction is not unusual.
“There are some heroic stories as well of elephants stepping in to help humans. It can be to protect them from animals including other elephants at times. They have been able to help them when natural disasters occur, moving heavy items to get to people and to rescue them.
Most researchers aren’t surprised by these acts at all though. This is because the elephant is well known for being intelligent and capable of experiencing the same emotions as humans.”
It seems to me that Darrick loves his volunteer work at the Elephant Nature Park. There is no doubt that the elephants also love the visits as well.
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You can see the greeting between man and elephant in this touching video: