After 25 years together, Magda the elephant refuses to leave her companion Jenny’s side after her passing.
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00:00An elephant grieves refusing to leave her deceased best friend's side.
00:09This is Magda, a retired circus elephant in Russia.
00:13She is mourning the loss of her companion of over 25 years, Jenny.
00:17Jenny had just died.
00:19The two spent decades performing together, enduring chains, whips and endless routines.
00:24In 2021, their careers ended after two shocking incidents at Kazan State Circus.
00:30First during a performance, Jenny suddenly butted Magda and trampled her as she lay helpless
00:35at the edge of the ring, dangerously close to a terrified crowd.
00:39Parents and children fled in fear.
00:41A circus representative later suggested Jenny's attack was fuelled by jealousy, calling it
00:46a possible pursuit of the trainer's attention.
00:49But just a week later, the elephant turned on the trainer himself, sending him flying.
00:54He suffered spinal fractures, broken ribs and a punctured lung.
00:57As a result, the show was abruptly cancelled and they were retired to Taigan Lion Safari
01:02Park in Crimea, which is the biggest and one of the very few safari parks in Russia adept
01:07in rehabilitating retired circus elephants.
01:09Tragically, in March 2025, Jenny, who was aged 54 now, succumbed to a bladder disease.
01:15Magda was seen desperately trying to rouse Jenny as she refused to leave her side.
01:20She nudged her, cradled her with a trunk, desperate to wake her.
01:24Hours passed but Magda would not move, even blocking vets from approaching.
01:28Few creatures grieve as deeply as elephants.
01:31They don't just acknowledge loss, they feel it in ways eerily similar to humans.
01:35They mourn their dead, cry in loss and remember love and pain for decades.
01:40Some stand vigilantly, gently touching the body with their trunks, as if trying to bring
01:44them back.
01:45Others return to the spot where a companion may have passed, running their trunks over
01:49the bones in quiet remembrance.
01:51This video from Crimea has sparked a broader conversation about the use of animals in entertainment
01:56and the emotional complexities they experience.
01:59Their journey from circus performers to companions in retirement highlights the need for greater
02:04empathy and understanding of these majestic creatures.
02:08Now Magda faces an uncertain future.
02:10Alone for the first time in decades, she will have to navigate life without the one constant
02:15she had, Jenny.