An Orphaned Elephant Finds Joy in Unlikely Friends—Playfully Bonding with Labradors, Despite Their Tiny Size Compared to Him

Bubbles, a 32-year-old African elephant, and Bella, a 3-year-old Labrador, are playing together at a sheltered animal facility in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA. They chase the same ball and swim together in the river. Big Bubble proudly walks with Bella on top of him.

Bubbles was born in Africa. In 1989, he was rescued as an orphan after his parents were killed by ivory poachers in Africa.

Therefore, an American conservation group formed and decided to transport the orphaned elephants to the United States. Mr. Bubbles is one of those elephants.

At that time, there were many orphaned elephants, and most of them were killed because they had no one to care for them or because there was no place to protect them.

When it first arrived in America, it weighed 154 kilograms and was about 1 meter long, but it has now grown to weigh more than 4 tons and grow to nearly 3 meters long.

What orphaned animals seek most is love. Mr. Antle from the shelter says so.

Elephants are said to live for nearly 60 to 100 years. For Bubbles, who was once a loner, being able to have a close friend to play with and live with for the rest of his life will be a very fond memory. The dog, Bella, seems to have become one of Bubbles’ best friends, a once-in-a-lifetime friend.