Elephant chained for 50 years freed

SCREENGRAB FROM www.mirror.co.uk

An elephant that was chained and tortured in captivity for half a century cried tears of joy when he was freed in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh last July 4.

British-based publication The Mirror reported over the weekend that Raju the elephant had tears streaming down his face “as he [realized] his ordeal was coming to an end.”

Last week, wildlife experts from Wildlife-SOS UK were joined by veterinarians and local authorities to rescue him in a “daring” midnight rescue operation in the streets of India.

The mission took place in the darkness in order to avoid detection and spare Raju from the sun’s heat.

“Raju was in chains 24 hours a day, an act of intolerable cruelty. The team were astounded to see tears roll down his face during the rescue,” said Pooja Binepal of Wildlife SOS-UK in the report.

“It was incredibly emotional. We knew in our hearts he [realized] he was being freed.

It was reported that it has been exactly a year since the organization was alerted by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department. It took so much time because the process had gone through the courts and Raju’s owner refused to give him up.

“Very little is known about his early years but we believe he was poached from his mother as a young calf,” Pooja said.

It was believed that Raju had been “sold on and on” and had up to 27 owners. He had been used to beg for money and suffered cruelty from his owners. His current handler reportedly tore out his hair and sold it as good luck charms.

“By the time we found him he was in a pathetic condition. He had no shelter at night and was used as a beggars’ prop from dawn until dusk. He wasn’t fed properly and was in a state of hunger and exhaustion. He began eating plastic and paper,” Pooja said.

The elephant’s nails were said to be severely overgrown, and he suffered abscesses and wounds due to spiked shackles and continually walking on a Tarmac road.

The rescue team made a two-day surveillance after a court order was finally issued.

“We had to act quickly as his situation was so desperate and the cruelty so extreme. The spikes on his chains were cutting into his flesh. Each time he moved pus would ooze out of the wounds. Pain and brutality were all he knew,” said Wildlife SOS founder Katrick Satyanarayan.

The owner tried to prevent the rescue and put chains around the elephant’s legs “so viciously tight they were cutting into his legs” just to stop the rescue team from moving him.

But the rescue team was bold enough to move closer to Raju and walk him 200 yards.

“Every step was agony but we had to take him. We decided to remove the shackles after we’d got him to safety,” Kartrick said.

Raju was sedated when he was brought to Elephant Conservation and Care Center at Mathura. It took 45 minutes to remove his spiked shackles, which will go to a museum for the public to see.

He will join other elephants who suffered cruelty after he goes in isolation as his urgent medical attention is addressed.

The charity is also trying to raise 10,000 UK pounds to help Raju start anew. – Frances Mangosing