In a heartwarming story that has captured the attention of animal lovers worldwide, a ʙʟɪɴᴅ elephant named Karma has experienced freedom for the first time in 46 years after years of ᴀʙᴜsᴇ.
Karma was one of the 4,000 elephants that lived in captivity in India. Many suffer in living conditions, and a percentage ᴅɪᴇ prematurely because of ᴇxʜᴀᴜsᴛɪᴏɴ and ɪɴꜰᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs.
A heartwarming story!
It has been found that the life expectancy of elephants in captivity has dropped from 70-75 years to below 40. Common causes of ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ include falls from trucks that transfer them from place to place, ɪɴꜰᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs related to their diet, and exposure to heat and sun.
According to Suparna Ganguly, president of the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, their keepers and managers are mainly ignorant, leading elephants to ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ due to unnatural conditions.
“Most of these ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜs are due to ᴛᴏʀᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴀʙᴜsᴇ, overwork, or faulty management practices,” she says.
The fact that these elephants are kept in sheds full of concrete causes “their feet to develop ᴀʙsᴄᴇssᴇs and thinning pads, sometimes leading to sᴇᴠᴇʀᴇ ɪɴꜰᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ.” Also, there are problems with their diet. While in the wild, they eat more than 100 different roots, in captivity, they are obliged to eat glucose-rich dried sugarcane fodder for their whole life, which causes ɪɴᴛᴇsᴛɪɴᴇ ɪɴꜰᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs and can even lead to ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ.
Where are these animals used?
They are used in processions and temple rituals. They are used to carry tourists around the streets or even in political parties’ campaigns. This ᴇxʜᴀᴜsᴛs them more and more until they have a sᴇᴠᴇʀᴇ ᴀᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ, usually during their transfer to what they call “rejuvenation camps,” and they ᴅɪᴇ in ᴘᴀɪɴ shortly after.
All the above sounds terrible, right? Now, imagine a ʙʟɪɴᴅ elephant going through all this, relying on its keeper’s guidance all the time. Can you even guess how difficult it must be for a ʙʟɪɴᴅ elephant to walk the busy streets with tourists riding it?
Karma had to spend the first 46 years of her life in ᴄᴀᴘᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ. She’s ʙʟɪɴᴅ and was used as a prop to beg for money or carry heavy loads on the busy Indian streets. All this until she was finally set free this January.
Wildlife SOS finally set Karma free and took her to the Elephant Care and Conservation Centre in northern India. She will undoubtedly enjoy the rest of her life- or at least her caretakers will try to help her live a happy life.
Karma’s story has a happy ending!
In the following clip, we can see Karma stepping off the ambulance that took her to the elephant hospital, where she would be comprehensively examined by vets and taken care of by the staff. A few weeks later, her feet started to heal by walking on suitable terrain, and the hospital staff made her feel more relaxed and happy.
The sanctuary also started a fundraiser earlier this year, hoping to raise enough money for Karma’s needs, and they managed to raise a few hundred dollars.
Now, Karma is confidently walking towards physical and psychological healing, and we’re sure all the people around her are doing their best to help her.
Fortunately, Karma’s story has a happy ending. She is now living out her days in a safe and loving environment where she can finally experience the freedom and happiness that all animals deserve. Her story inspires others to continue fighting for animal welfare and advocating for the rights of all creatures, great and small.
