Elephants are interesting animals that can be surprisingly gentle despite their large size. There’s many videos going around the Internet showing elephants having fun interactions with other creatures, including one where they play with a small dog and another showing an elephant falling asleep thanks to a lullaby.
Another video that was recently uploaded online and shared on social media shows a young man and his friends visiting an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. The star of the video approaches a baby elephant who immediately tries to make friends with him.
The elephant seems to behave in a way that would be closer to that of a domestic pet than a wild animal, as he cuddles with the visitor and enjoys being petted. Near the end of the video, the curious baby elephant goes to see other people in the group to receive more cuddles. Since it was first uploaded in November 2015, the video has received over 650,000 views and has been shared by several news outlets.
The young man shown in the video is happy that it has become so popular, as it helped bring attention to the issues that elephants face in many parts of the world. The elephant sanctuary where the interaction took place has a great reputation for taking excellent care of elephants and their babies.
Many of the elephants there were rescued from owners who neglected or abused them, which gives them a chance to finally live a happier life in the company of other elephants and humans who genuinely care about them.