Elephant 'cries' when freed after 50 years in chains
An elephant who was held in spiked chains and beaten for fifty years in India was released on July 4th - American Independence Day.
Raju was reported to have cried tears of relief after he was rescued in a daring midnight operation last Thursday night.
Since being poached from the wild as a calf, Raju had been starved and abused by his owners who used him to beg on the streets - people would give the mahout (elephant handler) tips in exchange for 'blessings' by Raju. His tail was stripped bare to sell the hairs to pilgrims for 'luck'. He was sometimes so hungry he would eat paper and plastic to fill his stomach.
The chains and spikes wrapped around his legs have left him with arthritis and chronic wounds and he is in constant pain.
London charity Wildlife SOS UK obtained a court order to free the elephant but that didn't stop this abusive owners trying to prevent them from rescuing him by adding more chains and trying to block the road for the rescue lorry.
Despite the difficulties, the conservationists worked for hours through the night to free Raju and finally remove his chains.
While he was being rescued, volunteers say that Raju understood that he was finally free.
“The team were astounded to see tears roll down his face during the rescue. It was so incredibly emotional for all of us," said Pooja Binepal, from Wildlife SOS UK.
“We knew in our hearts he realised he was being freed."
“Elephants are not only majestic, but they are highly intelligent animals, who have been proven to have feelings of grief, so we can only imagine what torture half a century has been like for him.”
Raju has been moved to a sanctuary where he will be cared for and restored to a healthy weight. He can then start his new - chain-free - life, together with other rescued animals.
