Big spoon little spoon elephant hugs
On National Hug Day, the NEW Sydney Zoo shared never seen before CCTV footage of the most adorable big spoon little spoon hugs by resident elephant brothers, Kavi and Ashoka.
7-year-old Kavi was seen entering his cosy barn and making himself comfortable, throwing his 2.25-tonne body onto Ashoka and nuzzling in closely to create the perfect spooning position. Ashoka then lifts his front leg and places it over the top of his brother to allow Kavi to get in closer.
“Humans aren’t the only ones that hug. Elephants are a social species that thrive from relationships they have with one another. Sleeping in close proximity is a natural display of affection and a way elephants’ bond with each other” said Sydney Zoo elephant keeper Jo Maitland.
“Seeing animals share such a special bond is one the biggest privileges of being a zookeeper.”
Keepers from Sydney Zoo say when the pair are not sleeping peacefully together, they are busy being typical young boys, playing, swimming and sparring.
Kavi and Ashoka arrived at the NEW Sydney Zoo in late 2020 and will make an important contribution to the Asian Elephant breeding program in Australasia led by the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA).
