Elephant calves are usually dependent on their mothers for about three to four years, so when a newborn baby elephant named Moyo was abandoned by her family after almost drowning while trying to cross a flooded river at just a few days old, she didn’t have a great chance of surviving.
Luckily, a group of rangers found the baby and took her to the Wild Is Life sanctuary in Zimbabwe, which cares for orphaned wild animals and is run by Roxy Danckwerts. Currently, the sanctuary is home to 15 different species from squirrels to elephants.
Baby Moyo was abandoned by her herd and was left to die. However, just when a pack of vicious hyenas were about to attack the weak and defenseless animal, rangers stepped in and rescued her.
While Moyo is cared for by a group of different caretakers, she has formed a special bond with owner Roxy during her recovery. “She knows my voice, my smell and somehow knows where I am at all times,” Roxy said. “How, I have no idea!”
The now 14-month-old follows her foster mom everywhere she goes. Even when Roxy is relaxing on the couch “Moyo is just as important to me, as I am to her. She is one of those animals with whom I have formed an extraordinary bond of friendship, trust and love.”
Eventually, the goal is for Moyo to be released back into the wild once she’s old enough, and while it’s Roxy’s goal to have her be free, she is also riddled with anxiety over her special companion.
“All parents want the best for their children. I want the best for the elephant children, and that best is freedom to roam and to make their own choices. So, yes, I will probably have a nervous emotional collapse (one of many) but that does not deter me from pursuing this goal,” Roxy explained.
Watch the entire video below to see the incredible bond this troublemaking baby elephant has formed with his new mom.
Would you be able to put up with having a curious baby elephant running through your home? Let us know what you think in the comments below, and please SHARE this incredible story on Facebook.
[Featured Image: Nature’s Miracle Orphans]