This is the heartbreaking sᴄᴇɴᴇ of an elephant herd paying their final respects to their ᴅᴇᴀᴅ leader. The animals can be seen congregating around the carcass, which is located ᴄʟᴏsᴇ to Anuradhapura and the Kalᴀᴡᴇwa reserve in Sʀɪ Lᴀɴᴋᴀ.

Some of the elephants stroke the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ giant, who had been ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀed by a rival, with their trunks. Locals came to the sᴄᴇɴᴇ in droves to record and take pictures of the amazing sight.

In a video of the occurrence, about ten elephants are seen huddling over their ᴅᴇᴀᴅ leader. However, some sources claimed that 300 people had congregated ᴄʟᴏsᴇ by.

Elephants routinely visit the graves of the deceased, “kiss” their bodies with their trunks, and rock back and forth as a sign of ᴍᴏᴜʀɴɪɴɢ, according to researchers.

But an Oxford University study from 2006 discovered that elephants grieve at the ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ of the loosest acquaintance while humans often reserve their sadness for friends and family. They also strive to aid the sɪᴄᴋ and dying in the hopes that they would recover their health. It’s so touching!

The investigation discovered that the creatures also exhibit sympathy for the sɪᴄᴋ and dying, striving to heal them.

Let’s watch the final farewell of the herd of elephants to their ᴅᴇᴀᴅ leader in the video below: