This is the touching moment of an orphaned baby elephant trying to master her own milk bottle.
The footage, recorded at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi, showed a two-year-old elephant named Bondeni trying to hold onto a warm new bottle of formula milk with the tip of his trunk.
Watch the video at the end
Bondeni, who went to the Kenya animal shelter as an infant in 2019, managed to get hold of the bottle before dropping it and letting a keeper help him.
The two-year-old elephant named Bondeni tries to master holding his own milk bottle at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi, Kenya
The baby elephant holds the bottle with the tip of his trunk and manages to slurp its contents
The baby elephant uses his trunk to hold the large bottle as it sips its contents in the clip.
As he lifted the bottle higher, he lost his handle, and the bottle fell to the ground.
His handler picks up the bottle from the ground and helps the animal with his food.
On Twitter, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust wrote: ‘He may be small, but Bondeni is personable and brave – watch him try to be a big bull and hold his own milk bottle. He is an orphan in the care of our nursery. ‘
Bondeni arrived at the rehabilitation center in 2019 after wandering alone into a village bordering the Chyulu Hills.
The calf’s paws were covered with lacerations from shuffling in nearby lava fields, and he was taken to the center’s Kaluku Battlefield Headquarters, where he was restored to health.
Bondeni initially struggled to walk due to his injuries, but his wounds soon healed, and he has since been transferred from the trust’s infant center to their daycare.
In order for Bondeni to receive the same amount of nutrients as in the wild, breeders must prepare new formula for him every three hours.
The elephant raises the bottle above his head but soon loses his grip and drops the bottle
Bondeni’s keeper picks the bottle from the ground and gives the elephant a hand with the rest of his feed
Although breeders will often hand-feed their baby elephants, some will prefer to hold a bottle and suckle on their own as they get older.
After the touching footage, social media users shared praise for the ‘cute’ elephant.
One user wrote: ‘Oh, he’s a great little man. Give the house a week, and he will master it.
While another added: ‘They grow so fast! It won’t be long before he has that bottle in his hand.
Another commented: ‘Bondini is too adorable trying to be a big bull and wanting to be independent. Team SWT – you guys are simply amazing!
Elsewhere, another said: ‘Can he be cuter? I just admire him and his personality.
The Trust, founded in 1977 by Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick DBE, is one of the oldest wildlife charities in Africa and is best known for their work with elephants.
More than 160 orphaned elephants have been successfully rescued, nurtured and re-integrated back into the wild by charity, which works in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Kenya Forest Service.
African elephants are the largest land animal on Earth and are recognized for their large body and ears that allow them to radiate excess heat.
Asian elephants are generally smaller than African elephants, and their skin is dark gray to brown, with pink patches on the forehead, ears, and trunks.
Watch the video below
