THIS is the tragic moment a circus elephant tries to wake up her dead friend after she suddenly collapsed and died.
Magda and Jenny were long-time performing partners, and had been inseparable for more than a quarter of a century.
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The heart-breaking footage shows Magda trying to wake Jenny up and lift her to her feet.
The clearly distressed elephant is later seen cradling her dead friend with her trunk, Baza news reported.
Magda stayed with Jenny for several hours after her death as she said her final goodbye.
The grief-stricken animal did not allow vets to come near her as she stood contemplating near the body of her friend.
The Indian elephants were retired four years ago after entertaining crowds for years.
The elephants had performed in Kazan for several decades but were retired after two incidents in March 2021.
In the first, the female giants suddenly started fighting midway through a performance, causing watching children and parents to flee in terror.
The brawl began when Jenny butted Magda and trampled her as she lay helpless across the edge of the ring close to the terrified crowd.
A representative from the circus said: “Possibly in pursuit of the trainer’s attention, what happened was a manifestation of the companion of love – jealousy.”
But just one week later the elephants attacked trainer Eduard Sheishenbekov, 29, sending him flying.
Sheishenbekov suffered two spinal fractures, broken ribs and a punctured lung.
As a result their long running show was abruptly cancelled.
Kazan State Circus director Ramil Sharifullin said: “I cannot imagine how to stop the elephants from thundering towards the audience should they want to.”
He said that this time the elephant pair had been in a conflict and the trainer was the unfortunate victim.
After retiring Jenny and Magda were never seen fighting again, and reportedly always stuck together.
The pair were also known, on occasion, to recall some of their old circus performances.
Elephants are among the most emotionally intelligent animals, known for displaying behaviour that suggests mourning and remembrance.
Can animals feel lonely?
By Lydia Doye
- Animals, like humans, need social interaction and companionship.
- When isolated animals can experience stress in the same way that humans feel lonely or depressed.
- Animals can also develop separation anxiety, when they are separated from their companions.
- Lonely animals may have less energy than normal and show a decreased interest in activities.
