Note: we are republishing this story which originally made the news in June 2019.

A touching video of elephants organizing what appears to be a “funeral” for a deceased young elephant has taken the internet by storm, stirring a wave of emotions across social media.

The heartwarming footage, posted on Twitter by Parveen Kaswan, a forest ranger in the Indian Foreign Service, has struck a chord with thousands of viewers. In the video, an adult Indian elephant emerges from a forested area onto a road, gently cradling the lifeless body of a young elephant with its trunk.

The adult elephant places the small body on the ground, standing vigil over it while awaiting the arrival of other members of the herd. The rest of the herd soon arrives, forming a line reminiscent of a solemn procession.

In a poignant display of unity, both young and mature elephants gather around the tiny carcass. With the herd standing as a somber congregation, they gently lift the lifeless elephant and carry it into the forest, leaving onlookers moved by the poignant scene.