Delhi's Last Begging Elephant Is Celebrating One Year Of Freedom, After Four Decades Of Abuse

Life has come a long way for Lakshmi, aka Jasmine, who for years walked across the roads in Delhi under the hot sun and cold winter as a begging elephant.

In July 2019 the female elephant then named Lakshmi had made headlines after the Forest Department claimed that she was missing.

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Lakshmi, along with her mahout had gone missing after the Forest Department moved in to confiscate and rehabilitate her as per a Delhi High Court order.

Lakshmi had to be rehabilitated elsewhere

Lakshmi was one of the six elephants in Delhi which the High Court had in 2016 ordered to be seized and rehabilitated elsewhere as the national capital does not provide a natural habitat to house these animals.

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Two months after she went missing, Laksmi was traced by forest officials near Yamuna Khadar area from where she was captured and her mahout was arrested.

Post her rescue, the 41-year-old was handed over to Wildlife SOS, a non-profit charity involved in rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife in distress.

wildlife SOS

At the rehabilitation center in Haryana, she was given a new name - Jasmine, and a new life of freedom that she had never experienced.

One year of complete freedom

Now she has completed one year of freedom and a new life along with other elephants who also have similar stories.

"In a city which is not a suitable habitat for elephants, 40-year old Jasmine suffered silently for decades. Navigating through the jam-packed roads of Delhi, even as the noise from the traffic caused her immense psychological distress, was a part of her daily routine. Gracing events and ceremonies, giving joyrides to people and begging on the streets was her designated ¡®occupation.¡¯ Jasmine was forced to live in despicable conditions along the banks of the infamously polluted Yamuna river, where she would eat and bathe every day," the NGO said in a statement.

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But these days she spends her time with the herd of four other rescued elephants residing at the Elephant Rehabilitation Centre. Her days are filled with long walks with her caregiver around the vast forested area, spending hours in a jumbo pool with her friends and gorging on healthy and delicious fruits and vegetables.

The elephant which was in a poor state, when it was rescued, due to the years of abuse is making remarkable progress in her health.

Wildlife SOS

¡°Jasmine¡¯s health has been severely compromised due to negligence and her feet are in terrible condition. She is currently receiving regular medicated foot baths to aid the fast recovery of her torn and delicate footpads and wounded cuticles,¡± Dr. S Ilayaraja, Deputy Director, Veterinary Services for Wildlife SOS said.

Wildlife SOS

¡°Jasmine¡¯s life was burdened, and physically so, with the overbearing weight of a carrier crushing her spine and her spirits down. Now, with the serene surroundings of the jungle and dedicate care of the Wildlife SOS elephant caregivers, her health is improving gradually," Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS said.