Adorable moment elephant returns toddler’s shoe after it falls into zoo enclosure

This is the adorable moment a clever elephant returned a toddler’s tiny shoe after it was dropped into a zoo enclosure.

In the cute clip, the huge creature can be seen gently scooping up the tiny blue and yellow shoe using its enormous foot and lengthy trunk.

Slowly grasping the minuscule footwear, the friendly giant delicately returned the shoe dropping it back into the young visitor’s hand.

The smart creature named Shanmai – which means ‘Mountains’ – lives at the Shendiaoshan Wild Animal Nature Reserve in Weihai, China.

At first glance Shanmai initially believed the shoe was food but upon picking it up soon realised it wasn’t a bite to eat, according to a staff member.

Adorable footage has emerged from a nature reserve in China, showing a kind elephant returning a toddler’s show after it had fallen into a zoo enclosure

The clever giant named Shanmai, initially believed the footwear was food but soon realised it wasn’t upon scooping it up (pictured: the elephant returning the shoe)

But the kind elephant’s good deed didn’t go unnoticed as a zookeeper later rewarded Shanmai a watermelon for their kind gesture.

This comes shortly after tourists in South Africa had a terrifying encounter with a furious bull elephant whilst on a safari tour.

The horrifying clip showed the enraged elephant lifting the bus of helpless tourists into the air with its tusks before dramatically slamming them back down to the ground not once – but twice.
Cowering passengers could be heard crying as the driver loudly screamed at the huge beast at Pilanesberg National Park near Johannesburg, South Africa to back away from the vehicle.

Despite the tour guide loudly yelling at the animal to ‘move, move’ whilst smacking the side of his open-sided truck – the elephant was not deterred, stamping its feet at the tourists hoping to embark on their safari tour.

Going in for a second round, the 11-foot creature let out a loud trumpet before he positioned his huge tusks underneath the vehicle nearly toppling it as he pulled it sky-high.

In the clip that emerged online on March 19, the disgruntled elephant backed away from the bus, whilst flapping its wide ears vigorously.

Angry elephants are known to have widened eyes, as well as spread ears when approaching a perceived threat according to Asilia Africa.

A furious elephant (pictured) nearly toppled an open-sided tour bus in Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa not once – but twice

In the terrifying footage the driver could be heard yelling at the beast to ‘move’ before the elephant went in for a second round – nearly toppling the truckload of tourist (pictured)

The terrified driver attempted to reverse away from the disgruntled tusker who appeared to be heading for a third battle with the truckload of tourists.

But as the animal approached for round three, the driver clasped his palms together and pleaded: ‘No. Enough, enough, enough, enough.’

As he attempted to make a quick getaway, the furious animal kept his eyes locked on the vehicle until the end of the footage.

No one aboard the vehicle was injured as a result of the incident, according to local media.

Wildlife officials have previously warned drivers and tour operators to always give way to animals and to be especially careful around breeding herds.