They say an elephant never forgets and as you’re about to find out, it’s really true. Elephants are, after all, highly intelligent creatures that care about and look after their friends.
Jenny was only a little calf when she was brought all the way from Asia and and forced to be part of an American circus. The little elephant had to have been both confused and traumatized by such a harrowing experience. Jenny was only at the circus for one season, but while she was there, she formed a very strong bond with another elephant, Shirley, already in her twenties at the time. The two elephants didn’t lay eyes on each other for nearly 25 years but then they had an unlikely reunion.
That reunion took place at The Elephant Sanctuary, located in Tennessee, where Jenny was already in residence. When Shirley was brought there, not only had she not seen Jenny in over two decades, she hadn’t seen any other elephant, either! They decided to start by introducing her to an elephant named Tara. The staff had no idea how it was going to go but it turned out they had no need to worry: Shirley and Tara greeted each other gently and with incredible tenderness. Early the next morning, Jenny was brought to the elephant barn where her old friend Shirley was waiting. When they were close enough to look into each other’s eyes, there was a spark of recognition. The trumpet and roars of joy were proof that elephants really never forget!
Shirley was already quite elderly by elephantine standards and unfortunately, she only lived another six years. But she at least got to spend those years among friends and in pleasant surroundings.
Did this long-delayed reunion between the two former circus elephants warm your heart? Do you think it’s okay for circuses to have elephants or is that the last place a pachyderm belongs? We’d love to hear from you in the comments at Facebook and be sure to like and share!
https://youtu.be/lF8em4uPdCg
