One elephant herd in Kenya is drawing attention after adorable footage showed three young calves turn daily life into a full-on nursery, complete with sudden snoozes in the sun.
What happened?
The video, shared to Instagram by Kenya's Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, showed clips of life with the Umani elephant herd, when the close-together births of calves Lenny, Sulwe, and Zigi changed the herd's daily rhythm.
As the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust put it in the video's caption, "As babies do, they napped suddenly and often. When they showed signs of sleepiness, the entire herd would stop and circle round, so they could rest safely and soundly."
The adult elephants are shown keeping watch over the babies, making sure they're safe and well-rested. While waiting for the little ones to wake up from their naps, they fanned themselves and stood watch, all without making enough noise to disturb the babies. The post highlights how hands-on elephant parenting can be, especially when several calves are growing at once.
Young elephants depend heavily on both their herd and their human caretakers when they are being rehabilitated, making something as ordinary as nap time require close attention.
The Wildlife Trust noted that the three young elephants were all "born to orphans we rescued, raised, and reintegrated back into the wild," describing them as Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's "grandkids."
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What are people saying?
Commenters on the video shared their admiration for the elephants protecting the three babies and expressed their joy at the young elephants' cuteness.
One user wrote, "Love the guardian aunties facing away to be ready for any approach from any direction. So strong, nurturing, and smart."
Another added, "Precious babes. These posts always make my day just a little bit better."
A third commenter wrote that "Elephants are so nurturing and loving! If only humans could learn from them."
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