At a zoo in Germany, a heartwarming video captures a remarkable reunion between an elephant mother and her daughter and granddaughters after a 12-year separation.
In the wild, male elephants typically leave their herds searching for a mate, while female elephants remain with their mothers for life.
The reunion of this elephant family is part of a program designed to replicate this natural process within captive herds.
Pori, a 39-year-old African elephant, had been relocated from Berlin to the Bergzoo in Halle, where she was finally reintroduced to her 19-year-old daughter, Tana.
The touching moment she was also allowed Pori to meet her granddaughters, Tamika (4) and Elani (1), for the first time.
Watch the heartwarming scene as Pori, a 39-year-old African elephant, is reunited with her daughter Tana, 19, after a 12-year separation.
This emotional reunion also marks the first time Pori has had the chance to touch trunks with her granddaughter Tamika, 4, emphasizing the strong bonds within elephant families.
The elephant house at the zoo will be temporarily closed to allow the elephants to spend quality time reuniting with their family and relaxing.
However, visitors can still view the elephants in their outdoor space during this period.
Meet Pori, a magnificent African elephant born in Zimbabwe in 1981. After spending two years in the wild, she was taken to Magdeburg Zoo in Germany, where she lived for nearly 15 years before being transferred to Tierpark Berlin in 1997 for breeding purposes.
In 2001, Pori gave birth to her first calf, Tana, whom she lovingly raised. A genuinely heartwarming reunion recently brought together three generations of elephants at a German zoo.
The zoo has chosen to temporarily close down the elephant house to facilitate the reestablishment of bonds among the elephants.
The zoo’s statement highlights the elephants’ need for time to become reacquainted with one another.
Elephants are highly social animals and naturally live in family groups led by a dominant member.
In line with this behavior, the elephant enclosure will be closed to ensure the animals have ample space and privacy to bond. During this period, the elephants will receive dedicated care from their keepers.
According to Dr. Dennis Muller, the zoo’s director, female elephants remain with their mothers throughout their lives. In contrast, young male elephants leave the herd when they reach sexual maturity.
The recent addition of an elephant named Pori to the Halle Zoo is a significant step toward improving the treatment of elephants in captivity.
Dr. Muller believes all European zoos should adopt natural family structures when caring for their elephant herds.
To achieve this goal, committees comprised of experts from various zoos, assigned by the conservation breeding program (EEP), oversee the elephant population and determine new herd compositions, leading to necessary animal transfers.