While African Elephants are these large, gentle creatures that are both strong and at times playful, they also face some very serious issues. Some of those include poachers and habitat loss, and organizations like Botswana’s Elephant Havens Wildlife Foundation help to protect these amazing animals. They do so by providing a safe space for young elephant orphans like baby Joy.

Joy is one of the elephants the caretakers at the orphanage have helped, and this little one just turned a year old. On her first birthday, they decided to give her a very special surprise, a fun birthday bash. A few days ago, the @elephanthavensfoundation account posted a TikTok video of them serenading baby Joy with the sweetest rendition of the “Happy Birthday” song.

What a fun start to Joy’s birthday festivities! As the clip shows, Joy seems to be thoroughly enjoying the group’s musical performance. She even uses her trunk to hug and catch the attention of some of them.

Joy has been known to play around with some of her caretakers and even shower them with kisses. And in general, many animals have a pleasant reaction to music, so it’s no wonder Joy was pretty enthusiastic while they were singing.

And people all over the internet are celebrating right along with Joy. The birthday wishes keep coming in from commenters. “Happy Birthday to the Joy that brings us joy!” said @victoriousvirgoworld, and @evvalentinlopz wrote, “Happy birthday, sweetness. Joy brings her joy to all.”

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Though, the serenade just kicked off the birthday bash. They also gave Joy an “elephant-friendly cake” to celebrate the occasion. Like any good sister, she shared her tasty treat with her sanctuary siblings.

If you guessed it, they pretty much acted just like typical kids with cake, and viewers couldn’t help but notice the cake frenzy. @iam_sinayo joked, “Sister, leave some for the birthday girl. Happiest of birthdays, beautiful Joy.” Kids will be kids!

Joy’s First Year At Elephant Havens

Joy has come a long way since arriving at Elephant Havens. In the video post caption, @elephanthavensfoundation mentioned, “When Joy arrived at Elephant Havens, she was scared and alone. Today, she’s playful, brave, and adored by everyone who meets her, a true ambassador for orphaned elephants everywhere.”

They’ve been documenting Joy’s journey on TikTok by sharing moments with this adorable baby elephant. They continued, “Over the past year, Joy has helped the world understand what Elephant Havens is all about: compassion, care, and giving every orphan a second chance.”

If you’d like to learn how the Elephant Havens Wildlife Foundation helps elephants like Joy, visit their website to find out more about their work.

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This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Dec 6, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.