In a touching moment captured at a sanctuary, a young elephant named MeBai and her mother, Mae Yui, reunited after three years apart, greeting each other with a gentle hug using their trunks.
MeBai had been separated from her mother at a young age when she was sold to the tourism industry in Thailand.
Taken from her natural environment, she was trained to carry tourists as part of an animal riding service.
However, being too young for such demands, MeBai’s health began to deteriorate, and she struggled with weight loss, making it impossible for her to continue the work, according to Elephant Nature Park, the sanctuary that eventually rescued her.
After removing MeBai from her difficult situation, volunteers at the sanctuary brought her to a haven in Chiang Mai, where she was retired from the tourism business.
She became part of the Pamper a Pachyderm program, a unique initiative that allows visitors to observe elephants in the wild without interference and respecting the animals’ natural behavior.
Initially, MeBai was cautious around her new surroundings and the sanctuary’s caregivers. But over time, she realized she was in a safe environment where people did not threaten her. This acceptance marked the start of a happier chapter in her life.
The sanctuary’s staff later discovered that Mae Yui, MeBai’s mother, was living at a nearby sanctuary.
They arranged for Mae Yui to join MeBai at the sanctuary, reuniting the pair and allowing Mae Yui to also leave the tourism industry. Now, the two elephants can live freely and safely in the wild, sharing their lives once more.
In a moving video, the mother and calf are seen immediately reconnecting, standing close, and communicating through soft sounds and vibrations.
A voice-over describes this touching moment as proof that “an elephant never forgets, especially the love of another elephant.”
As the video concludes, MeBai and Mae Yui stand side by side, embracing each other with their trunks, savoring the joy of being reunited, uncertain if they might be separated again but clearly cherishing their time together.
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