Long’uro struggles to connect with other elephants after losing his trunk as a baby. Play is how young elephants build bonds, but without a trunk, even that becomes a challenge.
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TRANSCRIPT
- [Narrator] The bonds that play creates help build a tight knit groove, crucial for survival in the wild.
The trunk is key to all of this.
It's used to touch, comfort and build connections.
- You can see Long'uro is isolated from mothers.
Sometime you can see him becoming desperate.
He's struggling to find friends.
So I think that's why Longuro isolate himself from the others, because he knows that he's disabled boy.
- [Narrator] Long'uro's friendship with herd mate, Lodosoit, has been going from strength to strength.
(elephants snorts) The pair regularly engage in play, but Long'uro still can't mount.
- Yeah, Long'uro wants to actually climb over the back of Lodosoit and training himself to try many different ways, like putting the front feets on top of rocks.
(laughs) - [Narrator] By taking advantage of elevated positions, Longuro is training his core muscles and honing his balance.
(elephant snorts) Long'uro's persistence has finally paid off.
- Long'uro is a very clever boy.
Yeah, actually this is the amazing.
- [Narrator] Overcoming his disability, Long'uro has found his place in the herd and will continue to learn and grow.
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