Do you have a favorite animal? Although we probably have our own choices, there’s something particularly adorable about elephants. From their leathery skin to their tusks to their adorable trunks, it’s not hard to see why people love elephants so much. Although we couldn’t be more different, people and elephants can actually form close, beautiful relationships under the right circumstances.
This story shows just how much of a bond we can form.
The story takes place in Thailand at the Elephant Nature Park, a rescue and rehabilitation center founded by Lek Chailert.
Although there are many elephants at the reserve, one particularly cute one is the nine-year-old Faa Mai. As it turns out, Chailert has a particularly close relationship with Faa Mai and the two are very affectionate with one another. In particular, Chailert does her best to make sure all the elephants feel safe and at home in their new surroundings.
For Faa Mai, this was a challenge at first.
To make Faa Mai feel more at home, Chailert had a unique idea.
When the sun went down, Chailert would spend one-on-one time with Faa Mai by singing lullabies to help her sleep. Because many of the elephants at the reserve come from different backgrounds (some of them with trauma and hardship), some of them can be afraid settling down in a new place. Fortunately, Chailert’s voice seems to do the trick for Faa Mai who falls asleep right away when she hears her sweet singing.
A video of Chailert singing to Faa Mai has gone viral recently—and for good reason.
It’s clear to see from the clip just how much Chailert cares about all the elephants that she takes care of. Still, her relationship with Faa Mai seems particularly tender. As it turns out, Faa Mai was so in love with Chailert’s singing that the lullaby tradition spread around the reserve! When a new elephant calf named Thong Ae showed up at the park, Faa Mai was instantly protective of her. While Chailert was giving a tour to some visitors, Faa Mai had another idea.
In the middle of the tour, she came up to Chailert and wrapped her trunk around her, gently pulling her away.
Though it took her a moment to figure out what was happening, Chailert sensed it had something to do with Thong Ae.
As it turns out, Faa Mai was trying to get Chailert to sing to Thong Ae as well! Naturally, Chailert was more than ready to bring Thong Ae in on the tradition! As this story shows, all that it takes to have a close bond between humans and other animals. The Elephant Nature Park itself is a testament to the giving spirit of Chailert herself. Still, her love is clearly reflected in the relationships with all the animals she cares for. The bonds are so close that the sanctuary has released a statement on them:
“The relationship between Faa Mai and Lek can show you that animals and humans are not different . . . Once we give love, definitely we can get love as well.”
Thanks for all the great work you do, Lek!
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