Animals are sentient beings who feel emotions deeply. They not only feel joy, sadness, grief, fear, and loneliness, but are also able to express their state of mind through conscious actions like smiling and crying.
In this video from Shendiaoshan Wild Animal Nature Reserve in Rongcheng, China, we see a baby elephant named Zhuang Zhuang right after he was rejected and abandoned by his mother. The sanctuary workers believe that the mama elephant accidentally stomped and kicked Zhuang Zhuang and wounded him. This prompted her to leave her baby.
While it’s common for elephant mothers to abandon weak calves, Zhuang Zhuang was beyond devastated once he realized that he had been rejected by his mother. The poor baby simply collapsed and huge tears rolled down his eyes. He just wanted to see his mama again.
For 5 hours, the sanctuary staff worked hard to console the injured Zhuang Zhuang. But the heartbroken baby hid under a blanket and kept weeping until his eyes were swollen. Meanwhile, the mama elephant also become depressed at the dying state of her child. She stopped eating altogether.
When the sanctuary staff tried to reunite Zhuang Zhuang with his mother, the mama elephant tried to stomp him again, so the staff decided to separate them permanently. One of the keepers at the sanctuary later adopted Zhuang Zhuang and they have made a good bond.
Zhuang Zhuang’s unique display of emotions has once again proved that animals are just like us. In fact, the “Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness” claims that animals have strong neuroanatomical, neurochemical and neurophysiological substrates of conscious states that help them exhibit intentional behaviors. This is why no one should ever hurt animals!
Click the video below to watch Zhuang Zhuang’s heart-wrenching cries after being abandoned by his mother!
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