An obese elephant was rescued from her abusive owner – using a hydraulic crane to pluck her to safety.
The dramatic operation was carried out by a team of 20 wildlife officers who whisked 18-year-old elephant Lakshmi to safety at a sanctuary.
Her owners had attempted to conceal her from authorities in Muland, India, where they had used her for street begging – an act outlawed in the region.
Lakshmi, an 18-year-old ailing elephant, is lifted by crane into a flat bed truck during her rescue by the Forest Department of Maharashtra in collaboration with Delhi based NGO, Wildlife SOS, from her cruel owners in Mulund, India
Lakshmi was in such bad health that she was unable to freely move thanks to a string of ailments, including obesity, severe joint pain and acute arthritis.
So her rescuers from the Forest Department of Maharashtra led her three miles away and roped in the services of a nearby hydraulic crane to hoist her into the back of a truck.
She was then sped to the Wildlife SOS’s Elephant Rescue and Intensive Care Centre in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
Dr. Yaduraj Khadpekar, a Wildlife SOS veterinarian, said: ‘The rescue operation had to be executed at very short notice when the Forest Department located where the elephant had been hidden by the owner.
Lakshmi had several ailments including obesity, severe joint pain and acute arthritis and is now being treated at Wildlife SOS’s Elephant Rescue and Intensive Care Centre in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
‘There were many unforeseen obstacles that we could not prepare for. We were dedicated to saving Lakshmi as we had already witnessed Bijlee, Lakshmi’s companion’s, death and did not want Lakshmi to suffer the same fate.
‘I am glad that we were able to successfully rescue Lakshmi. All along the journey from Mumbai to Mathura we had to keep resting and feeding Lakshmi while ensuring she was safe and not stressed from the journey.’
Lakshmi is now recovering under the watchful eye of veterinarians at the Wildlife SOS centre.
Wildlife SOS Co founder, Geeta Seshamani, added: ‘Lakshmi is a classic example of captive elephants being neglected and mismanaged due to ignorance and greed of the owners.
‘Wildlife SOS is working with the State Governments and Government of India to bring about awareness and change in the welfare of these captive elephants.’
In safe hands: Lakshmi’s companion, Bijlee, had recently died and wildlife experts were desperate to ensure that she didn’t meet the same fate