‘I’m crying’: Grieving elephant refuses to leave her partner of 25 years after tragic death
A retired circus elephant in Russia refused to leave her long-time partner’s side after she passed away, displaying deep grief and emotional attachment.
A retired circus elephant in Russia was seen mourning her partner, of over 25 years, after she collapsed and passed away. The emotional moment was captured in a video that has since gone viral, showing the depth of grief and connection between the two animals.
Jenny and Magda performed together in a circus for more than two decades. When Jenny passed away this week, Magda refused to let veterinarians near her for several hours, instead hugging and staying close to her.
“In the first minutes after the tragedy, she lightly pushed her friend and tried to lift her, and then began to hug her,” news outlet Baza reported. “Magda said goodbye to Jenny for several hours and did not allow veterinarians near her.”
The video, which has garnered over 5 million views on X, shows Magda desperately trying to wake Jenny by patting her with her trunk and foot. She then gently rubs her trunk along Jenny’s body, seemingly unwilling to accept the loss.
Take a look at the video:
The heartbreaking footage deeply moved viewers, with many commenting on the emotional intelligence of elephants. One user wrote, “Elephants are one of the only other mammals besides humans that have been observed carrying out burial rites. They’ll actually cover the bodies of their fallen loved ones with tree branches, if they’re available. Elephants are super smart. Super sad to watch.”
Another simply wrote, “I am crying.” A third added, “Heartbreaking. Elephants have deep emotional bonds, and Magda refusing to leave Jenny’s side shows just how strong their connection was. True love and grief in the animal kingdom.”
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One user wrote, “That’s so heartbreaking. Made me cry. That poor elephant.”
Another commented, “This is just pure love. The Russian trainer crying for these two beautiful beast is heart breaking. At least it sounds like she took care of them even though they had to spend their entire lives in custody.”
