Cute animal videos have been proven to release stress for viewers but it’s usually of domesticated house pets.
Of course here in Malaysia though we experience things a bit differently. From monkeys, tigers to tapirs, it’s not uncommon news for these wild animals to find their way to our residential areas, perhaps desperately looking for food amidst deforestation.
This time around though we’ve got our hands on some classic Malaysian hospitality where a man befriends a cheeky wild elephant at his working area in Banding, Perak.
Avid TikTok user and local diver, Muhammad Shaadi has uploaded a series of 4 videos a week ago showcasing his new friend’s playful antics with the most popular one garnering over 600k views and 31.8k likes!
@shaadishafiei
In the video, the elephant is seen hiding behind large crates of oxygen tanks and comes out to chase Shaadi only to stop and hide again as if its participating in a fun game of hide and seek.
In another separate video, netizens have claimed that the elephant is “laughing” at Shaadi.
@muhamadshaadi Replying to @mr_telur_masin
Speaking to WORLD OF BUZZ, Shaadi, said that the elephant has visited the fishing port spot a few times and is most likely looking for food as it has successfully nicked a bag of fishing bait before.
Netizens are loving the interaction and many are asking him to give some fruits to the elephant in hopes for a kinship to be formed but Shaadi knows better and has said that doing so might be dangerous and disruptive if it keeps coming to their working spot looking to be fed.
Wild elephants are known to be intelligent and social creatures that can be playful but human-elephant conflicts are also common.
Although the heartwarming video is nice to watch, people are advised to always exercise caution when met with wild animals as their actions are unpredictable.
Also Read: WATCH: Pair of Elephants Spotted Breaking Into a House in Johor