The bond between an elephant and her human

This rescued pachyderm found much-needed companionship in an unlikely person.

Kham La, a six-year-old elephant, was born in Thailand, where as a baby she was taken from her mother and put through the process of “breaking” to make her obedient to humans so she could be used as a performing elephant. Fortunately, though, she was saved and taken to Elephant Nature Park, a rehabilitation center in northern Thailand.

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Although Kham La and her mother were reunited, her mother was unable to form an attachment with Kham La due to the trauma she had experienced. The story doesn’t end sadly, though! Kham La has found a new companion who loves her: a tractor driver at the center named Darrick. Every morning, Kham La rushes out to meet him as he drives past. Even after Kham La’s horrible experience of humans, she’s still all too willing to make friends with a man who stops to pet her every morning. It’s a testament to the ability of animals and humans to create deep connections.

You can watch the adorable video of the two of them here!