Heartwarming moment herd of elephants run to welcome new orphaned baby elephant

The video captured in an elephant sanctuary has captivated the hearts of millions. Here is the story behind it.

More than anyone else, it is the young who are in need of focused care in any social group – may it be human or animal. They are fragile, completely innocent, tiny, and are not able to fend for themselves. They require the helping hand of much older members of the family to aid them in their growth and development.

The elephant in this story was orphaned at a very young age, but when he arrived at his new home, it looks like he would have nothing to worry about when it comes to care and companionship.

Dok Geaw – an elephant who was just a year and nine months old – was moved to Thailand’s Elephant Nature Park an elephant sanctuary after spending some time at the Elephant Conservation Center in Laos.

He was orphaned at just four months old and was rescued by a kind woman named Khun Kanjana Silpa-archa, who brought him to an elephant sanctuary. Now, he gets to meet his new family in Chiang Mai, and they all gave him the sweetest welcome that you will ever see!

With loads of manpower, Dok Geaw was eventually taken to the Elephant Nature Park where he was placed in an enclosure. Once the other elephants heard his cries, they immediately gathered and did something that awed the workers in the sanctuary.

An entire herd of elephants ran together to greet the baby! In a video that has been viewed over 5 million times, the elephants can be seen trotting over to where Dok Geaw was and proceeded to show him that he was welcome.

They stuck their trunks between the openings of the enclosure, and it looks like they were petting Dok Geaw using them. In return, the baby stuck his trunk out back to them, as if saying “hello” to his new family!

You can see in the elephant’s eyes that he was delighted to be greeted with such warmth and affection.

His new family consists of Dok Mai, Sri Nuan, Dok Rak, Faa Mai, Faa Sai, and Dok Ngern  – all those elephants who greeted him when he came to the sanctuary.

Dok Geaw is feeling at home in the shelter, and the workers there discovered that he loved to lie down and play on a sand pile!

With such a loving family and dedicated staff by his side, Dok Geaw will surely grow into a healthy and happy elephant!

Watch the smile-inducing video below posted by elephantnews.

If you would like to visit the elephant sanctuary or sign up as a volunteer, click here. For information about how you can help the elephants in the sanctuary, go here.

All photos were taken from YouTube unless otherwise indicated. Spread the good vibes and share this story!