Elephants are creatures who have many of the same emotions that humans do. The Animal Channel states that when a baby elephant loses his or her mother, it becomes very difficult to grow properly because “during their early years the calf follows the mother everywhere learning invaluable survival lessons from her and the rest of her herd.”

That’s why workers at the Elephant Nature Park in northern Thailand were fearful when they brought in Dok Geaw, an almost two-year-old elephant who was injured and had just lost his mom. As soon as they brought Dok Geaw into their park, however, they realized that they had no reason to worry about him, as the other elephants there had a reaction to him that they were never expecting.

Somehow, the other elephants new instinctively that Dok Geaw had lost his mother, and that he desperately needed their help. As soon as he arrived at the sanctuary, the older elephants rushed over to greet him, much to the workers’ surprise! The older elephants reached out their trunks to pet Dok Geaw, and he cried out to greet them in response. He clearly knew that he was in good hands as soon as they ran over to say hello to him.

Elephant rescuer Khun Kanjana Silpa-Archa is the person who found Dok Geaw, and she said that he was orphaned at just four months of age. She’s so glad that he has been able to find a new forever home at the sanctuary!

Watch the elephants’ reaction to Dok Geaw in the video below!