David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya is a sanctuary where orphaned elephants are being taken care of. And when the time comes and they are prepared, the elephants are released into the wild. It is also the case of Yatta who was brought to the center in 1999. Ten years after, Yatta made her way back into the wild.

To Loijuk the elephant, nothing is more important than family — especially now that she is starting one of her own.

Although it’s been more than eight years since she left the sanctuary, Yatta never forgets those who took care of her. Therefore she decided to pay them a surprise visit. Only this time she was not alone, but with her newborn calf.

It was clear the proud elephant mom couldn’t wait to show off her baby. The calf, who has since been named Lili, was only hours old — likely born only the night before.

And such a special moment was necessary to be captured on camera. So the caretakers filmed the moment and they even named the little one Yoyo. However, according to the staff, Yatta has done the same with her firstborn calf, a female called Yetu.

“Elephants have an incredible memory and sense of smell and our keepers will often breathe into the orphans’ trunks so they can recognize who they are.”

“She’s a proud momma,” caretaker Rob Brandford explained for the Dodo. “And in a show of absolute trust and affection, she brought her newest baby back to meet the people who saved her. ”

“We have not only saved an orphan baby and raised her, but she has successfully returned to the wild and started her own family.

For elephants, family is everything — so it’s no surprise that they choose to share their new family member with their former human carers, for they are part of their family,” Brandford said.

Even if it is pretty common among orphaned elephants to return to the places they’ve been raised, the caretakers declared it’s always amazing. And it really is amazing to see those wild animals while sharing their special moments with humans who used to take care of them. Just as Yatta did.

“Imagine our delight when she chose to share her second birth with us, returning to her former stockades and her human family, so that we could be a part of celebrating the arrival of her new baby — a healthy little boy,” the staff added.