A wild elephant seems to know the person who helped save his life more than a decade ago in a scenario that is described as being highly emotional.

A happy and unexpected meeting took place between Dr. Pattarapol Maneeon and an elephant that he had treated twelve years before. Plai Thang, an elephant who is now 31 years old, was diagnosed with a serious illness.  When a group of volunteers discovered him in the wilds of Rayong, which is located in the eastern part of Thailand, his odds of surviving were very low. The poor creature was having a hard time eating or drinking water, much alone standing on its own, since it was suffering from many illnesses at the same time, some of which were trypanosomiasis, anemia, and stiff legs.

The elephant was immediately transported to the Forest Industry Organisation, where he received medical attention and care by Dr. Maneeon. Miraculously, the elephant made a full recovery in a matter of a few short months. The location of the original discovery by the rescue team was used as the site for the animal’s subsequent release back into the wild.

When the veterinarian who cared for Plai Thang was out and about in the neighborhood earlier this month, he ran across an old acquaintance of theirs. However, he was worried whether or not the elephant would know him after such a long period of time. Anyway, the vet gave him a friendly wave. And as soon as it dawns on him that the guy who is waving at him is the same one who helped him 12 years ago, the elephant is quick to rush up and express his gratitude, once again.

Plai Thang reaches inside his trunk to make contact with the hand that Dr. Maneeon used to save his life as they get closer to one another. A scene that was caught on camera by surprise! The veterinarian went on to say that after hearing Plai Thang’s sound, he immediately recognized him as the person he was looking for when he first saw him.

“I have a pretty distinct recollection of the sound. “The sounds that Plai Thang makes is really distinctive,” the vet said to the local news station. “When we initially met, Plai Thang was acting in a really aggressive manner. Because of his frail condition, he was unable to compete in battle with other elephants. Although his recovery took a very long period, throughout that time we discovered that he was incredibly smart and was able to look for himself.

Dr. Maneeon continued by saying, “Recently, we met once more.” “We were able to recall one another, and we welcomed one another. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I really hope that it will inspire people all across the world to value the work that is done with elephants.