WATCH: Elephant Returns Child’s Shoe Accidentally Dropped Into Enclosure

Social media users are in awe after an elephant went viral for returning a child’s shoe that fell into its enclosure.

In a video posted to X (formerly Twitter), an elephant is seen picking up a child’s shoe that was dropped in its enclosure at a zoo in eastern China. The elephant grabs the shoe with its trunk, walks over to the fence, and passes the little shoe back into the hands of a child.

The video was originally shared in 2022 but has resurfaced and gone viral again on social media in September 2023.

Susanta Nanda (@susantananda3) shared the video on X with the caption, “He is confined. But not his spirits & compassion.” The video was reshared on Wednesday and has amassed more than 50,000 views.

Dozens of users commented under the post about how incredible and helpful the elephant was. One person wrote, “Such a gentle-hearted giant.” Another commented, “So touching.”

The South China Morning Post identified the child’s hero as Mountain, a 25-year-old Asian elephant. Mountain was fed some grass in return for delivering the shoe.