Elephants form a living umbrella to protect caretaker from rain: 'They sees me as one of her own'

Hindustan Times

28-06-2025

A soul-stirring video of a gentle giant shielding its human companion from the rain has melted hearts across the internet. The clip, shared on Instagram by Lek Chailert — founder of Thailand's Save Elephant Foundation — captures a deeply emotional moment that powerfully illustrates the extraordinary empathy and intelligence of elephants. A viral video showed elephants shielding their caretaker from rain.(Instagram/lek_chailert)
(Also read: Elephants lovingly shield caretaker from rain in viral video: 'Don't worry, everything will be okay')
In the video, as rain begins to pour, an elephant named Faa Mai instinctively moves towards Chailert and gently pulls her under her massive frame to protect her from getting drenched. Moments later, more elephants join in, forming a living canopy around her. The touching scene has amassed over 28 million views and continues to spread widely across social platforms.
Watch the clip here: 'She sees me as one of her own'
Chailert shared the video with a poignant caption that read:
'A good herd leader must take care of and protect her members and Faa Mai sees me as one of her own, as part of the herd she leads. When it began to rain, Faa Mai quickly pulled me under her belly to shield me from getting wet. This is just one example of the remarkable kindness and intelligence of elephants. It's a beautiful reminder that elephants are deeply emotional beings, capable of love, care, and empathy not just for their own kind, but for those they trust.' Internet reactions overflow with emotion
The comments section quickly filled with admiration and awe, as many reacted to the moving display of affection and care.
One user wrote, 'This brought tears to my eyes — such pure love!' Another said, 'Elephants truly are magical creatures, so much heart and soul.' A third commented, 'We humans don't deserve their kindness.' Another user shared, 'This is the most beautiful thing I've seen all week.' Someone added, 'I can't stop watching this. It's simply mesmerising.' Another said, 'The world needs more moments like this.' A user chimed in, 'Faa Mai is not just an elephant; she's a guardian angel.' One more commented, 'This just made my day. Animals have the purest hearts.'