Elephants are truly one of the most amazing animals on the planet. They are large, majestic creatures with a high level of intelligence and personality.
Seeing one in the wild is quite amazing — and one motorist not only got to see a parade of elephants pass by in front of him, but he also received an unexpected “thank you” from them.
The viral video was apparently shot in the Sanam Chaikhet District of Chachoengsao Province in central Thailand by TikTok user @thanakrit8181.
The footage was captured by the driver of a vehicle that had stopped in the middle of the road to allow an elephant herd to pass by.
The vast, beautiful herd of elephants, large and tiny, makes its way across the road, with humans staying a safe distance to allow them to pass.
Elephant crossings like this aren’t uncommon, but one of the elephants made an unexpected gesture that made this an extremely memorable meeting.
As the elephant parade comes to an end, one of the final elephants turns to the car waiting in the road and makes a thank-you gesture with its trunk.
The gesture has a very familiar feel to it: It’s the kind of “wave” you’d give another human driver to thank them for giving you the right of way on the road. It’s just one of many examples of elephants displaying human-like behavior.
View the video below:
The video has been viewed millions of times across various social media sites.
We don’t know what this elephant was thinking, and since the video went viral, there has been some dispute regarding what the elephant’s gesture meant.
While many interpreted the elephant’s trunk wave as a friendly “thank you,” others interpreted it as a threat from a protective elephant, as if to say “don’t follow us.”
While that is possible, others have stated that the elephants do not appear to be threatened by the cars, and elephants have the ability to recognize when humans are kind to them, so it’s possible that the elephant simply said, “hey, thanks buddy.”
It’s definitely an incredible sight to see, and must’ve been an unbelievable moment for that driver.
What a sweet story. The elephants seem to really appreciate the man letting them cross the road ❤️🐘
Please share this adorable video if you love elephants!
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