This Elephant Giving A Big Bear Hug Is Sure To Brighten Your Day

Did you know that hugging is good for your health?

On average, people spend on hour a month hugging? That doesn’t sound like much, but when you consider that the average hug is under 10 seconds long… that’s a lot of hugs! This is good news however, because hugging is really good for you. Hugs release oxytocin, a feel-good hormone, which benefits us emotionally.

If the hug encompasses your whole body, it stimulates your nervous system while decreasing feelings of loneliness, combating fear, increasing self-esteem, defusing tension, and showing appreciation.

And if that doesn’t inspire you to give more hugs, perhaps this cuddly picture will:

One animal (besides the group of meerkats above), who knows the value of a hug is the baby elephant who was caught on camera giving a tourist a really big bear hug. He heard this man was tired after his long flight to India and he wanted to welcome him in a very friendly fashion.

Either that or he’s subtly trying to ask for a piggy-back ride:

We can’t figure out if he’s giving a hug or looking for a free ride. Perhaps you should SHARE your thoughts with us and let us know what you think in the comments!

[Credit: Kelly Wolf via Youtube]