Sweet Photo of Woman Singing a Lullaby to an Orphaned Elephant Has a Heartbreaking Story

The Asian elephant, like its African cousin, is in danger. But while it is the ivory poachers that threaten the lives of the elephants in Africa, elephants in Asia are subject to a different fate, entirely. With illegal logging and elephant tourism both being two driving forces of the economy, elephants in Asia often endure lives full of cruel enslavement to humans.

Often, they are stolen from their mothers as babies and beaten for days on end to ensure a “docile” demeanor. Beating a baby is no less horrific for elephants as it is for humans, and the results leave behind both physical and psychological scars. With no one to care about them and very few laws governing how these animals are treated, they are truly at the mercy of their human handlers. Many of these elephants become the victims of abuse, injuries and neglect, which is where the good people at Elephant Nature Park come in.

Elephant Nature Park or ENP is an amazing rescue organization that is dedicated to providing a safe refuge for Thailand’s orphaned, injured, abused, and neglected elephants. Founded by an amazing woman named Lek Chailert, ENP is the last stop for many working elephants who have known nothing but cruelty their whole lives. With her mission of kindness and Conservation, Lek and her staff at ENP work tirelessly to ensure the highest quality of care for the animals who live there.

Sometimes, they even sing the Itsy Bitsy Spider to lull them to sleep, like Lek is doing for the baby in this picture.

Like human children, baby elephants need comfort, love, and reassurance to thrive. Many of the orphans who come to ENP have experienced horrific trauma and need their human caretaker’s constant care to help them through. Lek will often sing to rescued elephants to help calm them down – her ability to make these animals feel loved has gained her the nickname of the Elephant Whisperer. Based on the serenity on this baby’s face, we’s have to agree that this name is perfectly fitted to her.

If you would like to learn more about the life-saving work being done at ENP and how you can help, you can visit their website.

Image source: Animals of Planet Earth/Facebook