The journey of carrying a baby for nine months can be quite the emotional rollercoaster for many women. This is why numerous expectant parents choose to cap off the pregnancy with a baby moon just before the big day arrives.

It’s commonplace for relatives to fuss over an expectant mother’s baby bump, but one mum-to-be was taken aback when an elephant also reacted to her unborn child. In a TikTok post, the woman was holidaying in Thailand and encountered the mammal during a trip to an elephant sanctuary.

A video captures this unique moment “from one mum to another mum” – although viewers suggested it’s not as heartwarming as it appears.

The caption stated: “We visited an ethical elephant sanctuary in Thailand to observe these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat. We specifically chose this elephant sanctuary as they do NOT offer performances or riding to protect the elephants from exploitation.

“We saw Po getting into the water and had the pleasure of getting in with her when this beautiful, authentic moment was captured – no forced contact just a genuine connection between two mothers.

“Elephants can tell when someone is pregnant by their incredible sense of smell and seeing her react so intentionally and gently to our baby was beautiful, especially when you consider that elephants weigh several tonnes.”

The video captures the moment the elephant starts to wrap its trunk around the woman’s baby bump, and she can be heard expressing gratitude to the animal for its tender gesture.

Since being shared online, the footage has amassed 7million likes and 11,100 comments.

One user cautioned: “This is dangerous.” Another commented: “This is obviously Zoochosis in elephants. I learned about that reading the comments.”

Meanwhile, someone clarified: “For the confused ones, Zoochosis is a stress response in elephants whereby they start swinging their trunks when placed in environments they don’t like.”

Zoochosis represents a psychological disorder that impacts wild creatures kept in captivity, resulting in repetitive, obsessive behaviours not observed in their natural habitat.

Instances of such conduct include:

• Pacing and circling
• Swaying
• Head-bobbing and swaying
• Feather-plucking
• Bar-biting
• Self-mutilation

It is important to remember that elephants are wild animals and should be treated with respect, so approaching them in the wild or captivity can be dangerous.

In this case, the elephant lives in a sanctuary so therefore they live out their lives with dignity, free from the public eye and pressures of performance or breeding.

Sadly the animal can still exhibit Zoochosis when living in a sanctuary, particularly in a condition developed during prior confinement in a zoo or circus.

Meanwhile another TikTok viewer said: “Most animals are gentle when they realise there’s a baby on board.” And another added: “She’ll remember you forever. Elephants have a incredible memory.”