Thai Elephants Welcome Rescued Orphan Calf

Dok Geaw finds new family after losing his mother to infection.

A small herd of elephants at a Thailand sanctuary went absolutely bonkers when their handlers let them out of an enclosure so they could greet a rescued orphan calf.

The group at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai race-walked to a small barn where the young elephant was being cared for. They then reached out their trunks to touch him and made a low, vibrating pachyderm purr, video footage shows.

The little elephant, Dok Geaw, lost his mother to an infection when he was just four months old. He was raised at another center for months until he was deemed strong enough to join the herd, and arrived at the elephant park just days ago. He’ll continue to be fed milk by his human handlers while he enjoys the company of his new elephant fan club.

Elephant Nature Park was established in the 1990s to provide a haven for sick and injured elephants and other animals.

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