Baby Elephant Notices Her Human Caretaker ‘Drowning’ in River and Jumps Into Action to Help (VIDEO)

We may not always realize it, but animals are a lot like us. Take elephants, for example. Like humans, elephants are social animals that form close-knit relationships with their family and friends, they communicate through vocal and visual cues, and they teach each other practical skills.

Like the bond between a human and their child, bond between an orphan elephant and their caretaker is a special one. Typically, a baby elephant’s caretaker would be their mother and herd, but due to habitat loss and poaching, Asian elephants like the one in the video are being pushed to the brink of extinction. Many babies who lose their homes are stolen at young ages to be sold into a life of labor in the logging or trekking industries. But, thanks to amazing organizations like Elephant Nature Park, rescued orphans get to grow up with the love and constant care that they truly deserve. And when you give love, you get love in return.

Darrick, one of the caretakers at Elephant Nature Park, decided to take a swim in the river, but he didn’t manage to get far before baby Kham La, the elephant, mistook his leisurely activity for drowning and promptly sprung into action to save the day … or so she thought. Darrick may not have been in any actual peril, but we’re sure that he appreciates the sentiment. Just like we see dogs act to save other animals from drowning, this instance shows us just how capable of empathy these animals are.

To learn more about Elephant Nature Park and the amazing work that they do, visit their official website.