Elephants are the largest land-dwelling animals on the planet and are known to be one of the gentlest animals around too.
One woman decided to test this theory on a rainy day when a wild elephant was found hanging out in the middle of the road.
The woman came across this elephant while driving down a road that cut through the middle of a forested area.
The great creature stood to one side as cars drove around it, and it seemed completely unbothered by the vehicles.
It did, however, notice when a woman carefully made her way up to it with a bunch of bananas in hand.
Elephants are herbivores and their main sources of food are grass, leaves, shrubs, and twigs, so the temptation of a banana was something this one could not pass up.
Both the human and the elephant made their way towards each other very cautiously, warry of any sudden movements.
The woman, obviously afraid, ended up tossing the bananas on the ground and hurrying away as the elephant approached and picked up its treat.
The elephant now stood in the middle of the road but that didn’t stop cars from driving by, they just drove onto the grassy shoulder to pass it.
The woman let a few cars passed then approached the animal again, this time with a bunch of bananas in one hand, and a small watermelon in the other.
Again, the two were cautious when approaching each other, but this time the elephant held out its trunk and the woman was able to pass the watermelon right to it.
The creature at that up quickly and then reached back up for the rest of its offered treats.
The woman, obviously in awe of the animal, stood in the pouring rain as it ate, just watching and taking in the specialness of the moment.
After a few moments, the elephant backed up so that it was only taking up half the road and the cars were able to pass it again.
One car tossed out another handful of bananas as it passed which the elephant quickly scooped up and enjoyed.
These incredible animals are gentle, thoughtful, family oriented creatures, but due to the illegal ivory trade that spans the entire world, they are on the endangered species list.
It’s not only ivory poachers though, habitat loss is also a large part of why these amazing creatures are going extinct.
Though elephants may seem very far away from us in North America, there are still things we can to do try and help protect them.
First and foremost, do not buy elephant (or any other animal) ivory; this practice sees thousands of animals dead so that humans can have pretty trinkets, the cost far outweighs the “profit”.
Another, more proactive option, is to donate to causes like Save the Elephants who are committed to protecting these beautiful creatures and ensuring their survival.
Check out the brave woman and the gentle giant in the video linked below.
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