Even the experts haven’t seen it all. Years of studying in schools and exposure in the field do not guarantee foolproof knowledge of a subject matter. For us ordinary boys and girls who study a bit of everything, we find delightful surprises often times hiding in plain sight.
What do you know about elephants and their young? Not much I bet. Aside from their appearance, habitat, and diet, not a lot of people realize how impressive these animals are.
Ever seen or heard an elephant giggle and laugh?
You’re in for a treat. A woman named Laura, from Aberdeenshire, UK captured this oh so adorable moment of a baby elephant having a great time with a caretaker. This was in Maevang Elephant Camp in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where she had a two month celebration for her graduation. Two months for a vacation. Wow.
This charming calf was trying to chase a blue bucket which the caretaker would drag away from her. The game seemed to excite the little one. Listen to the elephant. That’s a laugh in our book!
The adorable calf even showed excitement as she’d scramble away while giggling, much to the elation of onlookers.
The little one is a six month old Asian Elephant (Elephas Maximus), a herbivore with a lifespan of about 60 years growing anywhere from six to ten feet at the shoulder and weighing in from two to six tons. Hefty. To think they’re veggie eaters.
Laura is a Geology student but after this recording she may go back for a course in Zoology.
Considered as the Earth’s largest land animal, the Asian elephant is actually smaller than its African cousin. They are classified as endangered. A shame considering how majestic these mammals are. Oh and the African elephants ears do resemble the African continent. Cool stuff.
The population suffered due to deforestation and agricultural development, not to mention illegal poachers who claim elephant tusks as prizes. Illegal ivory trafficking is a serious issue. Thank goodness for these elephant parks where they are allowed to thrive and reproduce under human supervision. It also allows people to learn more about these herbivores.
The level of trust between the calf and human is astonishing considering the fact that elephant mothers are highly protective of their young. Moms do charge at anyone that gets too close to their calf.
Charles Darwin said,
“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.”
This caretaker sure has a lot of love for this calf. If elephants never forget, then these two are friends for life.
Elephants are intelligent creatures. They can tell if someone is a threat by simply listening to the voice.
They show compassion, empathy, grief, self-awareness, and even recognize other animals and humans they’ve had encounters with.
Surely this is one of the more adorable encounters between an elephant and man. Just listen to the little one laugh! Even Laura can’t help but chuckle to herself. This baby elephant is too cute!
Moments like these remind us that we share this planet with truly fantastic creatures and that it is our responsibility to care for them. Their population, their future is in our hands.
Listen to this calf’s playful laughter by clicking on the video below.
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Source: YouTube, National Geographic, WWF
