I will never forget this! Mother elephant hugs her calf with her trunk as they are reunited, days after the young animal was separated from the herd and lost

  • Images showed the elephant sleeping next to its mother in a reserve in India

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This is the emotional moment a mother elephant hugged her calf with her trunk as they were reunited, days after the baby was separated from the herd and lost.

Aerial footage showed the young animal, aged between four and five months, safely sleeping and hugged tightly to its mother after a moving return.

Park officials had reunited the calf with its herd after it disappeared on December 29 and spent a day lost and alone in the Anamalaj Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu, India.

The guards found the baby wandering around, sad and looking for his mother.

Herds of elephants rarely move on when a calf goes missing, experts say explainedbut can press on for safety when they sense impending danger.

The baby was fortunate that staff were able to locate his family with drones, as they had since walked about 2.5 miles away.

The calf was then rinsed to remove all human odors and returned to the herd for a moving reunion, photographed with mother and child three days later.

Three days after the baby was separated from the group, a calf and its mother lie together

Three days after the baby was separated from the group, a calf and its mother lie together

Guards found the elephant alone and sent out drones to locate the herd

Guards found the elephant alone and sent out drones to locate the herd

Guards found the elephant alone and sent out drones to locate the herd

1704365196 879 I will never forget this Mother elephant hugs her calf

1704365196 879 I will never forget this Mother elephant hugs her calf

The missing calf had wandered about 2.5 miles from its family and was in obvious distress

The elephant (pictured behind his mother) was driven back to the herd and reunited

The elephant (pictured behind his mother) was driven back to the herd and reunited

The elephant (pictured behind his mother) was driven back to the herd and reunited

Days later, he was photographed close to his mother in the wildlife park in southern India

Days later, he was photographed close to his mother in the wildlife park in southern India

Days later, he was photographed close to his mother in the wildlife park in southern India