Elephants are brilliant animals with a deep connection to their family members. In fact, elephants are known for their close family ties and have been seen living in herds together for decades. From the moment an elephant calf is born, the mother is right by its side, guiding it through the important lessons of life and giving all of herself in order to help it thrive! So when this mother, Mae Noi, noticed her calf, T Noi, had been awfully still for a while during his nap, she went to check up on him. Now the precious footage caught by former director of the Thai Elephant Home, Leslie A. Temanson, is spreading online. It’s amazing to see a mother of another species have such an unbreakable with her baby!

Before Leslie was a wildlife rescuer, he was a special education teacher from Rialto, California. Life was just fine for Leslie – and then he traveled to Thailand for a month-long volunteer trip in 2010 to teach English that turned his perspective on life around. While in Thailand, the outspoken teacher fell in love with the Thai culture, people and, most importantly, the elephants. He made a promise to himself that he would be back as soon as possible! He had no idea that, less than 10 years later, he would be the director of the Thai Elephant Home. Leslie told PE.com that his job now is to spread awareness to the people who visit, “[The elephants] interact with guests from all over the world. And my job is to talk to them about the camp and the importance of elephant conservation… My children are big, grey and wrinkling, but I care for them deeply.”

Watch this heartwarming “mommy” moment unfold for yourself in the video below. We’re so glad Leslie shared the clip online – it gives us a rare glimpse into the world of the gentle giants! Hopefully, he posts more videos of Mae Noi and T Noi in the months to come. They’re so cute!