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African elephant Pori was born in 1981 in Zimbabwe. Two years later, she was sent first to the Magdeburg Zoo, where she spent 14 long years, and then, for breeding, to the Berlin Zoo. There, in 2001, Pori gave birth to a daughter, Tana, whom she raised for eight years, and then the family was separated.
In the wild, elephants live in small groups, each of which is led by a leader. Daughters stay with their mothers until the end of their days, and sons leave the herd after reaching puberty.
And after 12 years, Pori was again waiting for a move, this time to the zoo in the city of Halle, where a surprise awaited her - a long-awaited reunion with Tana. During the separation, the young elephant became a mother twice, so the grandmother was able to see her granddaughters - Tamiko and Elan.
Zoo employees took their time and initially placed the elephants in nearby enclosures. But it was clear that they recognized each other at first sight. Touching "hugs" with trunks were photographed by a local photographer, and this amazing picture has already managed to fly around all social networks.
According to the director of the zoo, Dr. Dennis Muller, in Halle they strive to create comfortable and as natural living conditions for elephants as possible, and Pori's arrival is an important step in the formation of a family group.
While the elephants get to know each other again and rub up against each other, it was decided to close the elephant enclosure to visitors. Zoo guests will be able to see animals only in the open area, where they go out at will.
Pori and Tana make up for lost time and get used to each other's company. According to Dr. Müller, all European zoos should adhere to the family principle when keeping elephants. This is the only way to achieve a comfortable climate for animals and the growth of the elephant population in zoo conditions.
