Elephant herd travel 12 hours to mourn human who rescued them

Often in our animals, we try to see a similar trait, whether it is the adorable, apologetic way dogs look at you when they do something wrong, or the way cats purr and cuddle with their humans that makes us all feel warm and fuzzy within. Even apes have been seen to express similar emotions. We all know that elephants mourn for the dead as they are sentient beings. Well, it looks like they don't only stand vigil for the death of their own kind, but for fellow humans who cared for them as well. Elephants have long been targeted by trophy hunters for their ivory tusks. The illegal trade of ivory has reduced the African elephant population from millions to sparse herds in just a few decades. Back in 1999, this man opened the gates of Thula Thula Game Reserve, South Africa, to wild elephants, but that wasn't his original plan for the reserve. Nevertheless, he took a leap of faith and accepted the rogue elephants because if he didn't take them in, they would be killed. According to him, they weren't easy to deal with because they had been known for escaping other enclosures and acting rogue. He said they were a difficult bunch, no question about it. But I could see a lot of good in them too. They'd had a tough time and were all scared, and yet they were looking after one another, trying to protect one another. Lawrence took it in his stride to nurture these majestic beasts, so he started treating them like children. He used words to persuade them, and he would also use gestures to show that they were perfectly safe with him. He mainly focused on the matriarch, Nana, in order to connect with the rest of the elephants. Therefore, Lawrence would go down the fence and beg Nana not to break it. Breaking the fence was her attempt at an escape. He knew she couldn't understand English, but Nana could pick up his body language. One day, a new dawn broke as Nana reached out to Lawrence as she put her trunk through the fence and towards Lawrence. He realized that she wanted him to pet her, and that signified the start of their beautiful relationship. The elephants then grew very fond of Lawrence, as well as his wife Francoise. They taught him life, loyalty, and freedom. In fact, they became so close that the elephants thought that Lawrence's house was their home too. Sometimes, they had to be chased out of the living room. And just like that, they were family and the best of friends. Also, if you've not done so already, please subscribe to our channel and click that notification bell to get inspired by these animal stories every day. Now, back to the story. For many, many years, the herds and Lawrence shared a great bond with each other. But unfortunately, the conservationists died on the 2nd of March, 2012. According to the New York Times, Lawrence died due to a heart attack, and he left behind his wife and two sons. The man who abandoned a career in insurance and real estate had saved all kinds of animals apart from Nana's herds. Some of the animals that he saved during his lifetime are crocodiles, rhinoceroses. Fun fact, Lawrence even managed to talk the African rebels, who were all wanted as criminals, into caring and nursing the remaining northern white rhinoceros. Nonetheless, none of that matches up to the relationship and sacred link that he had with Nana, as well as her herds. So, it's no wonder they turned up to pay their respects. Upon the passing of Lawrence, these majestic beasts walked 12 hours from Zululand Bush to their friend's home to pay their respects. They stood vigil for two days outside of Lawrence's house before returning to their regular lives in the bush. Lawrence's son, Dylan, shared, they had not visited the house for a year and a half, and it must have taken them about 12 hours to make the journey. What's even more amazing is that no one told both herds, which were led by their matriarch Nana, about Lawrence's death. It's like they just knew about it. I guess the old maiden's tale is true. Animals can sense things we can't. If you think that's the only time that Nana and her herd stood vigil for Lawrence, think again. This is because they will always travel 12 hours every year on March 2nd to pay their respects for their fallen comrade. Many have been left in astonishment after hearing about the elephant's journey. These beautiful, majestic creatures have truly moved us with their intelligence and profound emotions. Today, the Thuluthula Game Reserve still thrives under the care of Lawrence's son, Dylan, and he also accepted an honorary Doctor of Science degree on behalf of his dad from the University of KwaZulu-Natal's College of Agriculture, Engineering, and Science. As for Nana and the others, well, they are enjoying their time in Thuluthula Game Reserve. One man's heart stops and hundreds of elephants' hearts grieved. How could this be possible? And how different might the world be if more humans opened their hearts to animals like Lawrence Anthony did? If you liked the video, please give it a thumbs up and consider sharing it with your friends and family. Thanks again and we'll see you in the next one.