A Navy dad picked the middle of his own daughter’s up-close elephant encounter to make his big entrance home – turning her 5th birthday into a surprise reunion she’ll never forget.
The reunion, shared by the Memphis Zoo, came together as Adam’s daughter marked her birthday alongside her brother and mother during a special encounter with the zoo’s elephants — with no idea their dad was about to walk in.
The zoo said the surprise was arranged around the Fourth of July holiday weekend, after Adam returned from a long deployment with the Navy.
In a social media post marking the moment, the Memphis Zoo wrote: “As we celebrate this Fourth of July weekend, we extend our heartfelt thanks to Adam and all the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our country. Your dedication, sacrifice, and commitment do not go unnoticed.”
Video of the reunion, filmed at the zoo, shows the family’s unscripted reaction as the surprise unfolds beside the animals that had, moments earlier, been the biggest thing on the birthday girl’s mind.
