After more than two decades apart, two elephants reconnect in one of the most moving scenes the animal kingdom has ever seen. Though we, as humans, perceive animals to be so dissimilar, scenes like these demonstrate how many similarities we truly have and how similar we are.
Shirley and Jenny haven’t seen one other in 22 years, yet the two lovely souls know each other the instant they meet. Everyone was moved to tears by the way they greeted one other after so many years, demonstrating how their love for each other never faded. Despite having gone through a lot over the two decades they were apart, the two elephants find the strength to thoroughly appreciate the moment they reunite.
These two gentle giants had the roughest history, as we only see the emotional moment they reconcile. They had been compelled to do stunts in circuses for more than 20 years with the only aim of amusing the people who pay to watch them stage in cramped enclosures. All of that, thankfully, came to an end after they were rescued by a group of kind individuals.
Shirley and Jenny were transferred to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee after being rescued from their miserable circus lives. They were emotionally reunited here! Despite their long separation, the two old friends instantly recognized each other, and their reaction stunned even the keepers. However, as soon as they entered an open field, the scene that ensued is too wonderful to describe.
“After many minutes of caressing and exploring each other, Shirley began to ROAR and I mean ROAR—Jenny quickly joined in,” Carol Buckley, the Sanctuary’s Executive Director, recounted the magical moment. “To say the least, the interaction was intense, with both elephants feverishly stroking each other through the bars as they tried to get in together. “I’ve never known anything like this level of feeling.”
Keep an eye out for the heartbreaking scene!