by Humans aren’t the only species on the planet that can display a great deal of empathy. In fact, elephants are some of the most empathetic animals in the world. And there is video evidence to show just how in-touch with others’ emotions they are. When one elephant’s calf was upset, the only thing she could think of to soothe her baby was to bring in reinforcements. This clever mama elephant brought in the zookeeper to sing a lullaby to her baby.
Like most of the residents at the sanctuary, Faamai arrived at the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand’s Chiang Mai Province, when she was only a few months old. Oʀᴘʜᴀɴᴇᴅ and sᴄᴀʀᴇᴅ, the tiny elephant looked so helpless, but thankfully she found all the comfort she ever needed in one of the people at the sanctuary – Chailart, or the elephant whisperer, how she’s also known as.
Lek Chailart founded the Elephant Nature Park to help sᴀᴠᴇ these beautiful creatures. She uses the park to rehabilitate elephants that have been ᴘʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ or emotionally ᴀʙᴜsᴇᴅ. Many of the elephants come from circuses and have sᴜꜰꜰᴇʀᴇᴅ years of ᴛʀᴀᴜᴍᴀ. Chailart has cared for elephants will all sorts of ailments, from ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ ʙᴏɴᴇs to ʙʟɪɴᴅɴᴇss.
And while all of her charges receive the loving attention of Chailart’s kind heart, one elephant gets the most intimate treatment of all. It’s Faamai that falled asleep to the soothing tones of Chailart’s singing. The process is as adorable as it is incredible.
When Chailart decides it’s time for Faamai to go to sleep, she approaches the elephant and begins her song. Faamai responds by wrapping the woman in her trunk and pulling her closer for a hug. It’s a sweet embrace, but quite not as sweet as the scene that follows it.
As Lek begins her soothing song, Faamai slowly drops down to the ground and stretches out on her side. Soon the pair snuggle up together for nap time.
“Every time she hears the lullaby from Lek she still falls asleep,” the foundation wrote in the description on YouTube. Its Facebook page features several photos posted by Chailert of the park’s elephants playing happily.
Though there is little scientific study on whether elephants – or indeed any animals – actually respond to music, other animals have been known to enjoy a good tune, and even hum to themselves.
