It’s completely normal for parents, especially new ones, to worry about their newborn’s breathing. They might spend hours watching their baby’s breathing pattern to ensure everything is okay.
Likewise, a touching clip has been making rounds on the internet, featuring an elephant exhibiting qualities that resemble those of humans as she carefully watches over her slumbering offspring.
The majestic and intelligent elephants are known to have a strong bond with their family members. Their sociable nature is quite admirable as they are often seen living in herds for years. They value their family more than most animals, highlighting their deep emotional connection. The mother elephants are very attentive to their newborns and guide them through important lessons in life. They give their all to ensure that the calf thrives and grows healthy. Recently, a mother elephant noticed her calf being unusually still during its nap and went to check up on it.
In Thailand, a heartwarming moment was captured on film by Leslie A. Temanson, who used to work for Volunteer in Thailand with Friends for Asia. The video shows a mother elephant carefully extending her trunk over her son’s chest to check if he was breathing before going back to her business. Temanson commented that “Moms are moms, no matter the species,” and the scene reminded him of a human mom checking her sleeping baby. Elephants are known to have as many as 300 billion neurons, similar to the human brain, indicating “convergent evolution.” They exhibit complex behaviors such as grief, mimicry, play, altruism, tool use, compassion, cooperation, self-awareness, memory, and communication. This touching moment between a mother and son elephant is yet another example of why Aristotle referred to these creatures as “the animal that surpasses others in wit and mind.”