Watch This King of the Jungle Assemble Elephants Like They’re Pets

Wild animals are wild, which is why it always warms our hearts when we see them act like devoted pets. This herd of elephants ran to greet their friend, Darrick, a member of the Save Elephant Foundation in Thailand. The nonprofit works to preserve and protect Asian elephants and their habitat, as well as rescue a variety of other types of animals.

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Darrick had been away for 14 months in Cambodia, where he participated in welcoming Kaavan, an Asian Elephant relocated from a neglected zoo to a wild herd in Cambodia. Returning to Thailand, Darrick called out for the familiar herd of elephants that he had missed during those long months.

The herd is known as the Kham Lha herd, after one of its youngest members, Kham Lha. Kham Lha was rescued from captivity after being forcefully separated from her mother as a young calf and trained to submit to humans and perform. Now reunited with her mother, Kham Lha is still recovering and learning healthy behaviors for wild elephants. She formed a particular attachment with Darrick and relies on other members of the herd to help “nanny” her, according to the SEF website.

Roaming Free

Elephants are able to roam throughout the Save Elephant Foundation sanctuary in herds just like they would in the wild. Many elephants at the sanctuary were rescued from unsafe conditions, where they were held in captivity without the right care and stimulation. Save Elephant Foundation works to rehabilitate them and help them learn to rejoin a herd. They also provide medical care when needed, which it often is.

In this video, Darrick stands in a river that runs through the sanctuary. He calls out to the herd, which is a short distance away. When the elephants hear his voice, they start to hurry toward him, clearly happy to see their friend return.

The elephants trumpet and swing their trunks as they hurry through the water. Darrick continues to call out for the elephants and waits for them to come to him. The first elephant arrives and moves close to Darrick. He pats her face as other elephants come over. Surrounded, Darrick tries to give them all his attention. He runs a hand along their face or shoulders and smiles. The elephants also smile and trumpet in joy at his return.

Darrick is clearly a dedicated caretaker of this herd. He stands knee-deep in water, moving through the crowd of elephants to greet each one by name and give them a pat. After so long away, it is a touching reunion to see.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/fotografie-kuhlmann