“Very Sad To Watch”: Elephants Gather To Mourn Dying Family Member, SA Moved
- A deeply moving video captured three adult elephants and a calf standing in a solemn circle, appearing to mourn a family member lying still on the ground
- The emotional clip was shared on the video-streaming platform TikTok, touching viewers and prompting an outpouring of emotional responses
- Social media users were affected, with many drawing parallels between the elephants' emotional connections and human grieving rituals
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Source: TikTok
A wildlife video capturing a moving moment of loss and family devotion within a herd of elephants resonated deeply across social media platforms.
The clip, shared by wildlife marshal @nnjomo on TikTok, went viral as viewers witnessed the raw emotion of the magnificent animals, which left them emotional.
The TikTok video shared by @nnjomo opens with a solemn scene: three large, adult elephants are standing motionless with their backs turned toward one small elephant lying still on the grass. A younger calf tentatively steps forward, as if confirming the situation. The entire posture of the group conveyed their sorrow and helplessness.
The wildlife marshal captioned the video by explaining the significance of the moment, noting that the elephants were mourning a family member who was on the brink of death. He added that elephants experience deep emotional connections as a family unit and that losing one member affects the entire herd.
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Source: Getty Images
Mzansi shows the elephants love
The viral video touched social media users, who flooded the comments section with emotional responses. Many viewers asserted that elephants, like humans, are capable of experiencing grief, sorrow, and deep familial bonds. Some noted the elephants' intelligence, recalling the popular belief that elephants have excellent memories.
They pointed out a significant aspect of elephant mourning: the animals often return to the site years later to examine the bones of their loved one, which they sometimes cover they sometimes cover. Others expressed how sad it was to watch the video, acknowledging a profound, shared connection between all living beings.
User @kixe🥰safari🥰guide said:
"The process is called anthropomorphism."
User @Ives shared:
"They are like humans emotionally. They will come back to bury the bones."
User @N.W.A commented:
"They are very intelligent animals, I heard that they revisit bones of dead elephants to pay their respects 🙏🏾."
User @Phoebealm said:
"Elephants feel life more deeply than many humans do. They stand by their dying, they protect their own until the last breath, and they mourn in silence, returning to the bones of those they loved. They don’t speak, yet they understand love, loyalty and grief better than we do."
User @Muthuwavhathu shared:
"All animals mourn, but they do it differently."
User @Codesa Kasibu commented:
"Very sad to watch, they will pass every year there paying respect to fallen family members."
Watch the TikTok video below:
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Source: Briefly News
