When an elephant named Loijuk became a mom, she wanted to introduce her baby to all the important people in her life.
And the elephant, who had been orphaned at a young age, had a specific person in mind.
Loijuk was raised by the caring people of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. This is an organization in Kenya that operates a sanctuary.
Although Loijuk was eventually released from the sanctuary to return to the wild, she never forgot those humans who raised her.
She has adapted well to living in her natural setting, but on a monthly basis, she returns to visit her previous caretakers.
On one of these visits, Loijuk was not alone.
Alongside her was a very healthy-looking elephant calf. She certainly was a newborn as it was estimated that she was only a few hours old.
As it is common practice for those at the sanctuary to give names to the animals in their care, they felt it was only fitting to name the baby Lili.
Elephants by nature are very protective of their babies.
It is clear that Loijuk never forgot the people who cared for her and trusted them. She proved this by letting the head of the sanctuary get up close to Lili.
Lili displayed the same trusting characteristics as her mother.
As the keeper patted the baby elephant, she pressed into his legs. It was obvious that if mom was going to trust this human, then so was the baby.
The head keeper breathed into the baby’s trunk.
The caregivers of the elephants know that elephants have a very keen sense of smell along with an exceptional memory.
To bond with the elephants, the keepers will breathe into their trunks, believing that the elephants will remember their scents this way.
During the next week, Loijuk didn’t stray far from the area of her previous caregivers.
It was almost as if she was allowing these keepers to keep a watch over her baby to make sure she remained healthy. When Lili first came to the area, she had been quite shaky on her feet.
The keepers checked on her periodically throughout the week to make sure all was well.
Lili was born in was at the height of the Tsavo dry season.
The dry season makes it more difficult for the elephants to find food. The keepers were able to supplement Loijuk’s diet so she can care better for her baby.
Elephant moms don’t have to raise their babies on their own in the wild. There are other female elephants in the herd that will help with this.
For Lili, her additional elephant caregivers were two other elephants that had also been orphaned at one time.
Lili will grow up and stay within the herd. It is hoped that this first experience with the keepers will remain with her during her adulthood.
If so, then she will always know that the sanctuary is a safe haven that will always welcome her.
This sanctuary focuses on the protection of elephants, and they have done some amazing work.
They have been able to raise hundreds of orphaned elephants. These elephants grow up in a safe place, and they have plenty of space to roam and follow their natural instincts.
It’s so wonderful to see these elephants interacting with the caregiver. It’s clear that they love the caregiver very much, and the elephants always have a safe place to go.
Check out the adorable reunion in the video below!
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Source: Sheldrick Trust
