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Man asks baby elephant for hugs and gets more than he bargained for
Over 22 million people have watched this adorable video.
Rachel Shapiro
08.03.21

Many animals love cuddles. Dogs are the famous example of this, but there are also some other mammals that enjoy a hug. Including some very big mammals, like elephants!

Two-month-old Tara is the perfect example of this. This elephant calf was thrilled when she got the chance to get some hugs.

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Tara is an Asian elephant (Elephas Maximus). A herbivore that can grow anywhere from 7 to 10 feet and weigh in at 2 to 6 tons.

These mammals are endangered and at Patara Elephant Farm, these massive mammals are cared for and can live their lives free from all the known cruelties inflicted upon their species. YouTube channel and uploader Vivian H. shared this cute video of her visit to the farm with a man named Arthur.

YouTube screenshot
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YouTube screenshot

Patara Elephant Farm has a program called “Elephant Owner for a day” which allows visitors to have a hands-on experience with these creatures.

People are taught to care for, groom, feed, and even ride an elephant. Arthur and Vivian chose to visit this farm because she says,

“Unlike other elephant parks in Chiang Mai, the staff and owners at Patara focus solely on the healthcare and the breeding management for these endangered species and aid the recovery process for elephants injured by mine bombs – tourists come second. “

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These two had to work hard and learn everything there was to know about caring for these magnificent animals.

They helped feed them their daily meals, bathing, scrubbing, and washing the elephants in the river, and even inspecting the elephants’ stools. Must be fun.

At the end of the day, though, Arthur and Vivian made a new friend in little Tara.

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Pexels

Arthur called out to the elephant calf and surprisingly, she responded well to his calls.

Tara immediately walks over to Arthur’s outreached arms for an embrace and uses her head and weight to tackle her human friend to the ground amidst the laughter. Cute!

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

Elephant young can weigh in anywhere from 200-260 pounds, and to have that much weight walking towards you and pinning you to the ground for cuddles will be a workout.

Arthur seems to be enjoying himself, though.

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

He struggles to get her off so he can stand but Tara isn’t done! She pins his right leg down and lays on top of it drawing obvious delight from onlookers.

What’s Arthur going to do? Hug Tara some more, of course!

Arthur muscles up and slowly pushes Tara off. Well, this adorable calf must have thought it was a game because she uses her weight to wrestle him down again. This time she really puts all her bulk on top of Arthur. Someone count Arthur out!

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

Tara finally backs off and lets Arthur stand. She gets more pats and rubs as a result.

This cute exchange between man and animal has over 21.3 million views. What’s even more remarkable is that Tara’s mom didn’t seem to mind the presence of humans interacting with and playing with her calf.

Elephants are very protective of their young and will charge at anyone who gets too close.

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

This is a testament then to the hardworking men and women of this farm who have created friendships with these beautiful mammals. And surely Tara will never forget her new friend.

YouTube Screenshot
Source:
YouTube Screenshot

Arthur and Tara clearly formed a quick bond, and it’s wonderful watching the pair have fun together.

Check out the cute video below!

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Source: YouTube, Patara, National Geographic

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