Herd of Elephants Guiding a Newborn Calf Out of the Mud Show Us the Meaning of Family (VIDEO)

Although we know elephants are highly intelligent animals with an incredible expanse of emotions and complex thought processes, we are still always pleasantly surprised to see just how evolved they truly are. Thanks to elephant conservation organizations like Elephant Aware in Kenya, we are able to get a firsthand glimpse into the complex social lives of these majestic creatures.

The above video shows a tiny newborn elephant calf being guided out of a mud puddle by his doting family members. Although this little guy has a confident smile with his swagger, he needs the guidance from his herd to teach him how to live like an elephant. This sweet moment reminds us how similar elephant herds can be to human families.

Founded in 2009 under the Wildlife Conservation Trust, the goals of Elephant Aware are to protect African elephants from poaching and human conflict, to conserve the irreplaceable habitats the animals call home, and to educate the public on how to peacefully coexist with wildlife. Please visit the Elephant Aware website to learn more about their noble cause and how you can get involved.