The Good Morning Breakfast
Diere het ook gevoelens...─── 14:22 Tue, 05 Aug 2014
It was the moment Raju the elephant had waited a lifetime for – a family of his own.
Last week the gentle giant, who captured the hearts of people from around the world when he cried as he was freed from chains after 50 years – joined five female elephants at Wildlife SOS's Elephant Conservation and Care Center in India.
His new family, named the Herd of Hope, have all been rescued from barbaric treatment.
Last week the gentle giant, who captured the hearts of people from around the world when he cried as he was freed from chains after 50 years – joined five female elephants at Wildlife SOS's Elephant Conservation and Care Center in India.
His new family, named the Herd of Hope, have all been rescued from barbaric treatment.
And poignantly, they flapped their ears – an expression of joy - before touching him with their trunks as they welcomed him.
Charity Wildlife SOS founder Kartick Satyanarayan, who led the rescue operation to save Raju, said: 'We are delighted Raju has fitted in so well with the first family he's ever had since he was orphaned by poachers as a calf.
'He had been so terribly brutalized for 50 years that we feared he'd be unable to live with his own kind. He didn't even know how to be an elephant. But now it's like he's always been with them.
'When we first released him, he held back and he was clearly wary. Three of our female elephants Laxmi, Chanchal and Sai Geeta ran up to him – their ears flapping wildly –a sign they were excited and delighted to meet him. They also made high-pitched trumpeting sounds – a greeting.
Affectionate: One of Raju's female friends, left, strokes his trunk with hers. He was initially wary of contact because of his appalling treatment at the hands of captors
Affectionate: One of Raju's female friends, left, strokes his trunk with hers. He was initially wary of contact because of his appalling treatment at the hands of captors
Rehabilitation: The pool's water lets Raju take weight off of his legs - which are painful from years of abuse
Rehabilitation: The pool's water lets Raju take weight off of his legs - which are painful from years of abuse
Taking it easy: Raju was poached as a calf - and endured an awful life as a tourist attraction - but can now relax
Taking it easy: Raju was poached as a calf - and endured an awful life as a tourist attraction - but can now relax
Wildlife SOS' heartwarming stories of Raju enjoying his new life
more videos
Road to freedom: Raju was taken the sanctuary in Mathura, northern India, in this truck
Finally Phoolkali, who is blind in one eye was smuggled illegally for years before the charity was alerted to her plight and immediately stepped in to rescue her.
Mr Satyanarayan said: 'Phoolkali had spent more than 40 years of her life doing hard labour, being abused and being underfed. And her maltreatment and severe abuse by her previous owners caused her to be blinded in one eye.
'Her owner would hide her in a windowless, deserted warehouse. Her owner would smuggle her across state borders in the dead of night to avoid detection by the authorities as he has no valid documentation for her legal possession.
'She was frail and scrawny and almost skeletal in appearance and covered in sores and wounds.
'Now she loves throwing mud on herself immediately after a long bath - much to the annoyance of her keeper - and also throws mud on him when he isn't paying attention.'
Years to recover: The head of Wildlife SOS said that it takes years to recover from Raju's decades-long ordeal
Years to recover: The head of Wildlife SOS said that it takes years to recover from Raju's decades-long ordeal
Today the nightmare for Raju and his herd is a distant memory. And they are also enjoying a rehabilitation pool thanks to the generosity of donors to the centre.
Mr Satyanarayan said: :We are overwhelmed by the generosity of people from so many countries around the globe. We hope that if the donations continue, better facilities can be established for Raju and the other elephants at the center who all deserve a better life to make up for the abuse they suffered all these years.
'When we rescued him, Raju had never been in a pool before – and now he spends hours relaxing inside it. We'd like to thank everyone who made a donation – every penny has made such a difference to the quality of his life.
'And while the pool is immensely pleasurable for him, it also is helping his rehabilitation as the water's buoyancy enables him to take the weight off his legs which are incredibly painful from years of being shackled.
'He still faces years of treatment to heal both the physical and psychological wounds. And sadly he's not alone. We have a dossier of 80 elephants whose life is in imminent peril and they also need to be rescued before they die of cruelty, exhaustion and abuse.'
Now the charity has launched an appeal for £20,000 to mark World Elephant Day on August 12.
Mr Satyanarayan said: 'Our hope is that along with Raju, we can rescue many more of these tragic cases before it's too late for them. It will enable them to taste freedom for the first time in their lives and live out their days in dignity, free from suffering and pain.'
- Dailymail
Charity Wildlife SOS founder Kartick Satyanarayan, who led the rescue operation to save Raju, said: 'We are delighted Raju has fitted in so well with the first family he's ever had since he was orphaned by poachers as a calf.
'He had been so terribly brutalized for 50 years that we feared he'd be unable to live with his own kind. He didn't even know how to be an elephant. But now it's like he's always been with them.
'When we first released him, he held back and he was clearly wary. Three of our female elephants Laxmi, Chanchal and Sai Geeta ran up to him – their ears flapping wildly –a sign they were excited and delighted to meet him. They also made high-pitched trumpeting sounds – a greeting.
Affectionate: One of Raju's female friends, left, strokes his trunk with hers. He was initially wary of contact because of his appalling treatment at the hands of captors
Affectionate: One of Raju's female friends, left, strokes his trunk with hers. He was initially wary of contact because of his appalling treatment at the hands of captors
Rehabilitation: The pool's water lets Raju take weight off of his legs - which are painful from years of abuse
Rehabilitation: The pool's water lets Raju take weight off of his legs - which are painful from years of abuse
Taking it easy: Raju was poached as a calf - and endured an awful life as a tourist attraction - but can now relax
Taking it easy: Raju was poached as a calf - and endured an awful life as a tourist attraction - but can now relax
Wildlife SOS' heartwarming stories of Raju enjoying his new life
more videos
Road to freedom: Raju was taken the sanctuary in Mathura, northern India, in this truck
Finally Phoolkali, who is blind in one eye was smuggled illegally for years before the charity was alerted to her plight and immediately stepped in to rescue her.
Mr Satyanarayan said: 'Phoolkali had spent more than 40 years of her life doing hard labour, being abused and being underfed. And her maltreatment and severe abuse by her previous owners caused her to be blinded in one eye.
'Her owner would hide her in a windowless, deserted warehouse. Her owner would smuggle her across state borders in the dead of night to avoid detection by the authorities as he has no valid documentation for her legal possession.
'She was frail and scrawny and almost skeletal in appearance and covered in sores and wounds.
'Now she loves throwing mud on herself immediately after a long bath - much to the annoyance of her keeper - and also throws mud on him when he isn't paying attention.'
Years to recover: The head of Wildlife SOS said that it takes years to recover from Raju's decades-long ordeal
Years to recover: The head of Wildlife SOS said that it takes years to recover from Raju's decades-long ordeal
Today the nightmare for Raju and his herd is a distant memory. And they are also enjoying a rehabilitation pool thanks to the generosity of donors to the centre.
Mr Satyanarayan said: :We are overwhelmed by the generosity of people from so many countries around the globe. We hope that if the donations continue, better facilities can be established for Raju and the other elephants at the center who all deserve a better life to make up for the abuse they suffered all these years.
'When we rescued him, Raju had never been in a pool before – and now he spends hours relaxing inside it. We'd like to thank everyone who made a donation – every penny has made such a difference to the quality of his life.
'And while the pool is immensely pleasurable for him, it also is helping his rehabilitation as the water's buoyancy enables him to take the weight off his legs which are incredibly painful from years of being shackled.
'He still faces years of treatment to heal both the physical and psychological wounds. And sadly he's not alone. We have a dossier of 80 elephants whose life is in imminent peril and they also need to be rescued before they die of cruelty, exhaustion and abuse.'
Now the charity has launched an appeal for £20,000 to mark World Elephant Day on August 12.
Mr Satyanarayan said: 'Our hope is that along with Raju, we can rescue many more of these tragic cases before it's too late for them. It will enable them to taste freedom for the first time in their lives and live out their days in dignity, free from suffering and pain.'
- Dailymail
