Cuddling is an embrace of sorts that goes beyond the surface and forges an unspeakable bond between both parties. It is the opening of one’s heart to give and receive love from the other person. It may be reserved for a loved one but animals are always ready for cuddles!
Two month old Tara is an elephant calf and does not shy away from showing her love to human visitors.
She is an Asian elephant (Elephas Maximus) at Patara Elephant Farm, where these massive mammals are cared for and can live their lives free from all the known cruelties inflicted upon their species.
Uploader Vivian H. shared this cute video of her visit to the farm with a man named Arthur.
Patara Elephant Farm has a program called “Elephant Owner for a day” which allows visitors to have a hands-on experience with these creatures. People are taught to care for, groom, feed, and even ride an elephant. Arthur and Vivian chose to visit this farm because she says,
“Unlike other elephant parks in Chiang Mai, the staff and owners at Patara focus solely on the healthcare and the breeding management for these endangered species and aid the recovery process for elephants injured by mine bombs – tourists come second. “
These two had to work hard and learn everything there was to know about caring for these magnificent animals. They helped feed them their daily meals, bathing, scrubbing, and washing the elephants in the river, and even inspecting the elephants’ stools.
Arthur and Vivian made a new friend in little Tara which made all the work worth it.
Arthur called out to Tara and surprisingly, she responded well to his calls. The little elephant immediately walks over to Arthur’s arms for an embrace and uses her head to tackle her human friend to the ground. Everyone’s loving the moment!
These mini elephants can weigh in anywhere from 200-260 pounds. Imagine all that weight walking towards you, pinning you to the ground for cuddles all while you can’t fight back. Arthur seems to be enjoying himself though.
Tara isn’t done with her struggling human! She pins his right leg down and lays on top of it drawing obvious delight from onlookers.
Arthur muscles up and slowly pushes Tara off. This adorable calf must have thought it was a game because she uses her weight to wrestle him down again. This time she really puts all her bulk on top of Arthur. Someone count Arthur out!
Tara finally backs off resulting in more pats and rubs.
Tara’s mom didn’t seem to care that humans were interacting and playing with her calf. Elephants are very protective of their young and will charge at anyone who gets too close. Go ahead and search for videos. You do not want an angry elephant mama.
The hardworking men and women of this farm are responsible for the wonderful temperament of these elephants. Friendships with these beautiful mammals are rare. And surely Tara will never forget her new friend.
Check out Arthur and Tara’s wrestling match in the video below!
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Source: YouTube, Patara, National Geographic
