Two orphaned elephant calves named Aya Mye and Mary were having a hard time falling asleep. Without their elephant mothers to comfort them, they had no one to cuddle up to and no one to watch over them as was intended for all mammal infants. No one that is except their kind caregiver who began singing them the song Que Sera, Sera wrote by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans and made famous by Doris Day.
Watch this sweet video of the calve’s responding to their caregiver. She gently sings them to sleep. Her beautiful voice is obviously adored by this duo that gives into their heavy eyelids and their tired bodies as they lay down next to Lek and each other. As they begin to fall asleep she reassures each one by touching them with gentle caressing pets.
This precious moment took place at Winga Baw Myanmar elephant camp. Without a mother, both calves require direct care and a mother figure at their young and tender ages.
Elephants are very intelligent and social animals. They form tight bonds with members of their herd. The mother is of extreme importance for the healthy development of her calf. Calves will often hold onto their mother’s tail as they walk. They sleep next to them and follow their direction for where to go and who they can play with. Calves thrive off of the tender loving care of their mothers. Elephant mothers are very attentive of their calves at all time, often touching them and allowing them to nurse whenever they want their mother’s milk. If an elephant mother is walking and the calf can’t get milk, the calf will scream. Then the mother will stop and let the calf get the nutrition it needs.
These calves are off to a rough start without their elephant moms, but thankfully they have a kind caregiver like Lek to look after them and sing them to sleep.
