One Kenyan elephant nursery just gave the internet a dose of adorable chaos.
In a new Instagram post, shared by Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a Kenya-based wildlife rescue organization, a group of orphaned elephant calves can be seen toe-tapping, trunk-wrestling and climbing all over one another.
What happened?
The rescue organization shared the images Monday and said in the post that the rowdy behavior is exactly what caregivers want to see, writing: "An active young elephant is a happy, healthy elephant."
The six-photo glimpse of the trust's "Nursery herd" shows what young elephants do best: turning playtime into pandemonium. In one of the photos, the orphaned elephants can even be seen playing "trunk-of-war."
Why does it matter?
For orphaned animals, playful behavior can signal that they feel safe, social and physically strong enough to engage with the rest of the group. The trust summed that up by saying the orphans are "certainly showing us that they're fighting fit."
Rehabilitation involves more than simple survival. Young elephants need opportunities to build confidence, coordination, and bonds with other calves as they grow.
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Seeing them tumble over one another, test boundaries, and invent games suggests they are doing the kinds of things healthy young elephants should be doing.
What are people saying?
The post quickly went viral and currently has more than 25,000 likes in addition to hundreds of comments.
After the trust asked followers to "Pick your favourite playmates!" commenters were quick to weigh in. While some chose favorites, others couldn't, including one commenter who wrote "Too much cuteness in all those pictures can't pick one!" Another said "such a difficult choice, you can't help but love them all!"
Some commenters just shared their appreciation for the animals and for the mission of the wildlife rescue organization. One said, "I love their antics and affection! What marvelous babies."
Another user wrote what everyone was thinking, saying, "They're all so happy and playful … I love them all!"
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