Animal Lovers

>>> SIGN PETITION HERE <<< Suman is a six-year-old elephant living in shackles, hidden away from authorities underground, isolated from her mother. Suman has already been through so much; she was born into an abusive circus, then sold to a notoriously cruel owner in the notoriously cruel city of Jaipur. Today she is being forced to live in a dark basement, isolated from her family, hidden away from anyone who could help. If her owner decides to employ her as a riding-elephant, men will beat her and break her spirit to make her “tame enough for work." And she will work long, hard hours until the day she drops. >>> SIGN PETITION HERE <<< Baby elephants like Suman should never have to live like this! We rescued Suman's sister Peanut from the same circus that abused Suman several years ago, when Peanut was about the same age Suman is now. Today Peanut has a beautiful life, roaming green spaces with other elephants, full of energy and spir...

Elephants are known to be very intelligent animals. They are very social creatures. They have been observed mourning the loss of a member of their herd. Momma elephants will attack if their babies are threatened. Elephants are listed as a threatened species by the IUCN. So, what would you do if you saw an enormous elephant running down the street? Well, the authorities in this video set up a road block and gave her some space. It was soon clear what she was doing! After she chases the guy on the bike, it seems like she is making sure the coast is clear, and it isn’t long before we see what she wants to do. Take a look at this video She was acting as a crossing guard for her family once the coast is clear, everyone gets across safely! It is not every day you see an elephant in the middle of the road! Share away, people.

We all know elephants use their long trunks to spray themselves and ‘take a bath.’ Elephants don’t have sweat glands so they may bathe in mud to stay cool. According to motlies.com, bathing in mud also protects them from bug bites and sunburn! This footage captures Navann the baby elephant and bath time. Navann and the other elephants live in the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang, Mai, Thailand. Elephant Nature Park is a rehabilitation and rescue center for elephants! You can tell that the people who work there are kind and compassionate people who love the elephants. Navann is running around in the video with mom nearby. The pool offers a fun change for Navann keeps running in and out! Take a look at this video! It seems Navann is really more interesting in running around and having a good time! Mom seems to enjoy the pool too! Baby elephants are so adorable! Share away, people!

Sontaya is an elephant who has, for two years, been forced to give tourists rides on her back. This is an incredibly painful process for elephants . Image Credit: YouTube / BoonLottsBLES Films Young elephants who are forced to do this suffer from something called training crush, which is when their spirit is crushed by the constant pain of having people and saddles on their back. Image Credit: YouTube / BoonLottsBLES Films Elephants didn’t evolve to be ridden. Sontaya lived in a small outdoor stable in Pattaya, Thailand. She barely had room to move at all. Image Credit: YouTube / BoonLottsBLES Films Recently Sontaya woke to a day that she expected to be just like any other. But that day a truck arrived that would soon take her to Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary (BLES) in Sukhothai. Image Credit: Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary – BLES Sontaya’s current owners had realized the damage that they were doing to the 50 year old elephant, so they called BLES ...

So a herd of happy elephants were walking through the grasslands of Africa discussing the kind of leaves they had eaten and what they were going to eat tomorrow when suddenly one of the smallest member of their herd fell into a deep hole and couldn’t come out on its own. Not only did the baby elephant fall deep, he also bumped his head and because the herd couldn’t do anything, they decided to go back into the forest. The poor baby waited and waited for a miracle to happen and just as the day was about to end, a miracle did happen when an amazing group of humans showed up. Although it was difficult, the humans were able to get him out of the hole and after a checkup, they determined that apart from a tiny scratch on his head, the baby was okay and ready to go back into the wild. But unfortunately his family was nowhere to be seen. This is when the amazing humans thought of something. Take a look at this video! Incredible, isn’t it? I wish there were more people like them in t...

The passing of a close friend is perhaps the hardest trial that any of us will ever have to go through in our lives. Elephant Jokia is experiencing that difficult loss right now. She and her best friend Mae Perm have been together for over 17 years, when they were saved from forced labor and taken into Thailand’s Elephant Nature Park . Image Credit: Facebook / Lek Chailert When they arrived at the Park, Jokia was blind, but her friend Mae Perm would lead her all about the landscape. For nearly two decades these two friends have been entirely inseparable. Sadly this week Mae Perm died from old age, leaving Jokia all on her own. Image Credit: Facebook / Andy Petrou The heartbreak that Jokia is feeling is equal to any human pain. In this video you can hear her moaning and crying, and the sound is likely to break your heart. The workers at the Elephant Natural Park tried their best to give Jokia plenty of time with Mae Perm before taking the passed elephant for burial...

Sometimes experience is by far the best teacher we have to go on. A recent story with elephants shows just why our peanut cracking friends are to be respected for their wisdom. Every mother always wishes to help her child do everything she can and elephants are no different. A young elephant calf got stuck in a large mud sink while trumping along the wilderness. Mother of course was quick to come to the scene and pull her young calf out. After all what’s a little mud to a full grown elephant? Well apparently the mud was more than up to the task and despite her more valiant efforts, the mother was unable to free her child and was actually instead even pushing her calf deeper into the mud. Another member of the family was soon nearby to help however and took a different approach. Take a look at this video Through careful coaxing and encouragement from the newcomer the calf was able to work it’s own way out of the mud and was soon free to roam as it did before, albeit slightly d...

It’s a wonderful thing to see a baby experiencing something for the first time. They’re filled with wonderment and are eager to interact with this new phenomenon in order to learn how it works. And every single time, it’s just as adorable as the first. This baby elephant was taken to see the ocean for the first time in its life, and it couldn’t be more excited about the experience. It goes prancing through the waves and enjoying the feeling of the cool water against its toes. The tides coming in don’t stand against it, as it rushes head on towards them and buries its face in the salty waters. It soon flops down in the waters, swinging its trunk around in delight at experiencing such a treat. Take a look at this video! This may probably be its new favorite place in the world to be, and we can only hope that it gets more trips to the lovely sands and waves. Share away, people!

There’s one thing you need to know is that elephants will never forget the kindness you show to them. Take an example of this baby elephant who’s found his new favorite person ad it’s just adorable to watch them together! The baby elephant has no idea how strong or heavy he is, the only thing he wants is, like a puppy, sit on his favorite human’s lap! All this big puppy wants is cuddles and back rubs! So after a few seconds of leaving his favorite person alone, the elephant reverses back to sit on him! The big elephant has really no idea how much he weighs and whether his favorite person can handle the weight, all he wants is to be as close as possible to him! So long as he gets all the cuddles, hugs and back rubs, this is the happiest elephant in the world! Take a look at this video! This is incredible, right? Told you elephants don’t forget the kindness you shower on them and this man might have done something like that . Share away, people!

They always say that music can tame any savage beast, and although elephants are extremely dangerous, they’re not exactly savage. So what happens when you start playing some violin music for them? The Belgium Royal Chamber Orchestra was invited to the zoo to play for the animals, and while not all of them appreciated the tunes, the elephants were simply entranced. They move closer to the fence to try and get a better look at the instruments and take in the full quality of their sound. Then the unbelievable happens. They start swaying in time to the music being played, and even sway their trunks in the air. They don’t seem to want to move from the spot, and are happy to grab a meal while they watch the two violinists at work. Take a look at this video No one knows if it’s the soothing sound of the notes or the vibrations that the elephants feel, but they’re definitely big fans of music. Share away, people!

What could be cuter than seeing baby animals playing together? Interacting with others of their own species always lends a hand to learning their growing process, as well as how they learn the skills they need to survive. At Thailand’s incredible Elephant Nature Park, we get to see two baby elephants playing together by rolling around in the dirt. It may look like just fun and games, but there’s a lot more involved, such as learning boundaries and asserting a certain amount of dominance over each other. Climbing all over each other looks a bit painful, but they’re used to such rough housing, and know when to step back when they start hurting each other. Take a look at this video! It also gives their mothers a chance to get some much needed rest in having to watch over their babies and probably get a good meal in too. Share away, people!

Elephants are known for forming extremely strong attachments, and this isn’t only with their own kind. When they need someone to provide them with the comfort that they need, that help can come from just about anywhere, and they’ll bond instantly with that person. That’s what happened to Naledi the baby elephant when her mother died. A recent film named “Naledi” speaks of the plight of these elephants and the measures that are being taken to protect them, and the babies that are left orphans from illegal activities. What it goes to show is that Naledi has formed strong emotional bonds with the men in Botswana who have taken her in and shown her the affection that she needs to thrive. Take a look at this video Without hesitation, she forces herself into the man’s lap so that she can get a few cuddles, ignoring the fact that she’s quite big and also quite heavy. Share away, people.

Babies can be pretty fearful when they encounter something for the first time. They can either react with fear or wonderment, but with a little encouragement, they can start to get over these fears and learn about whatever it is they’re facing. And baby elephants are no different. It’s very rare that you’ll ever see one interacting with a goat, but that’s exactly what happened at this sanctuary. This baby elephant gets to see a goat for the first time, and since he’s never seen one before, reacts appropriately. It screams in terror and runs right towards its mother for comfort, afraid of the four-legged creature that just wanted to say hello! Take a look at this video! Hopefully, with time, this baby elephant will come to understand what it is and not be so terrified. Until then, it seems its content with hiding behind its mother’s legs! Share away, people!

Elephants understand the importance of building bonds with their kind. They provide them with the emotional support that they need in order to thrive. But with poaching, there are many elephants who end up being raised without their mothers. Not having this bond can leave them with holes in their hearts that cannot be easily repaired. But thankfully, there are other animals who are willing to take their place. This baby elephant was abandoned by its herd and was taken in by rescuers in order to give him a second chance at life. But even with people to care for him, he still wasn’t eating. That’s when he met and became friends with Albert the sheep, and they have been together ever since. Take a look at this video Within a few weeks of meeting Albert, the elephant was recovering physically and emotionally, as he started to eat and drink milk again. Share away, people!

If there’s one animal who’s both intimidating and social, it’s the elephant! Elephant are social animals who have the ability to make friends with animals which are tiny to their size. This is the story of an elephant called Tarra and her best friend, a pup called Bella. Bella just appeared at the sanctuary one fine day and that’s when their friendship began. These two friends would sleep, drink, eat and even play together despite the massive different in their size. They had been best friends for nearly 10 years then one day Bella suffered a severe back injury, so the sanctuary decided to keep Bella inside the office to care for her. For three weeks, Bella was inside and it was during those three weeks that Tarra stood at outside waiting for her friend. Take a look at this video! Unfortunately Bella passed away in 2011 and Tarra was heartbroken. Thankfully the other elephants came by to comfort her during her grieving period. True friendships last forever… Share away, people...

The ivory trade has been running rampant for decades now, and these poor gentle giants suffer immensely at the hands of it. Hundreds, if not thousands, of elephants are killed every year for their tusks to be sawed off and sold on the black market. This can leave many baby elephants without the mothers they need to take care of them, and they end up dying as well. It can be difficult to track down these poachers and see that they’re brought to justice, but one woman is taking the task into her own hands to ensure that these creatures are no longer mistreated and murdered for their tusks. Since 1977, Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick has taken it upon herself to raise the elephant orphans who have suffered both physical and emotional injuries from the loss of their mothers. Image Credit: PetsFans They’re provided with enough space to roam, and each have their own handler to care for them throughout the day to ensure that all of their needs are met. Image Credit: PetsFans Her y...

Baby Moyo was found when he was only a few days old, nearly drowned after being swept away from his family while trying to cross a river. He was brought to  Wild Is Life , where Roxy Danckwerts, the sanctuary's founder, became his everything. When Moyo was still very small, he used to follow Danckwerts around her house, never wanting to let her out of his sight. Now 14 months old, Moyo still loves to follow Roxy everywhere ... but his rapidly growing size makes this a little tricky. Moyo isn't exactly aware of how big he's gotten ... ... or how strong he is ... ... or that some household items simply weren't meant to be eaten. Little Moyo knows no boundaries ... ... and nothing is going to stop him from following his rescuer around ... ... because he just loves her too much. Check out the full video of Moyo and his rescuer below:

It's called crushing — a practice inflicted on wild elephants to make them carry tourists on their back. Warning: Disturbing content below SHUTTERSTOCK/JORG HACKEMANN It's a way of deliberately breaking the spirits of animals so humans can use them. Crushing involves tying up and literally beating an elephant into submission. "Tourists may think activities like riding an elephant do no harm," Dr. Jan Schmidt-Burbach, senior wildlife and veterinary adviser at World Animal Protection , told The Dodo in a May 2015 feature on this kind of cruel tourism. "But the brutal truth is that breaking these animals' spirits to the point that they allow humans to interact with them involves cruelty at every turn." While it's unclear exactly how many elephants endure this torment each year, it's believed that one of the main threats to elephant populations in Asian habitats is the illegal capture and "training" of young elephants....