The last time the two elephants Shirley and Jenny performed together was in the late 80s. At that time, Sherley was 20 years old and Jenny was just a baby elephant.
Now they are reunited together at the Hohenwald reserve, Tennessee (USA). When they first met, the two elephants wrapped their trunks together. Not only that, a few seconds later they roared loudly as if to greet each other. Since then, they have always been together, wherever they go. Elephant Sherley always uses her body to shield Jenny from the sun when she lies down to sleep.
Carol Buckley, director of the elephant sanctuary, said: “I’ve never seen anything as touching as this. Their relationship looks like mother and daughter. Even Jenney elephant became agitated, pounding. Get into the barricades and try to climb over to get closer to Shirley.”
A study by the University of Pennsylvania in 2011 showed that this mammal has the ability to bond, recognize friends even after not seeing them for a long time.