Rescued From A Circus Ring And Begging, These Elephants Just Celebrated 10 Years Of Freedom

Far away from the circus tent and the busy roads, which were their respective 'homes' for decades, Maya and Bijli just celebrated a decade of freedom from abuse, after spending years bound in shackles.

Maya, a former circus elephant, was brutally 'trained' so she could perform unnatural tricks for people's entertainment, while Bijli on the other hand, was used as a begging elephant in Uttar Pradesh.

Wildlife SOS

In 2010, wildlife conservation NGO Wildlife SOS successfully rescued the two pachyderms, who are now living a kinder, safer life at the Elephant Conservation & Care Centre (ECCC) in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.

Life of performing elephants oppressive one

The life of a performing elephant is an oppressive one, where they are forced to perform unnatural tricks for people's amusement, starved and brutally beaten into submission as part of their indoctrination. Elephant Maya would spend hours 'practising' standing on two legs or to carry circus performers on her back at the whip of a stick or sharp bullhook.

When not performing or being 'trained', she would be kept restrained by tight ropes and spiked chains around her limbs with no access to food or even clean drinking water.

Years of overwork, abuse and neglect had not only left her with ailments such as swollen limbs, cracked toenails and painfully damaged footpads and cuticles with severe toenail abscesses, but she also suffered from psychological trauma.

Wildlife SOS

Maya, Bijli had a traumatic past

Shortly after her arrival at the Elephant Conservation & Care Centre (ECCC) in Mathura, Maya was introduced to an elephant named Phoolkali, and her presence has played a significant role in Maya's decade-long recovery journey.

Bijli was forced to beg for alms while walking along the hot tarmac roads in Uttar Pradesh. On one such occasion, she was hit by a speeding vehicle and the accident left her with a permanently damaged hind leg. In spite of having grave injuries, Bijli's owner continued to exploit her and neglected her wounds.

The timely intervention of the Forest Department and Wildlife SOS paved the way for Bijli's freedom. With dedicated treatment to her damaged leg and overworked limbs, these injuries healed with time and her psychological healing was aided by the companionship of elephantsĄĒChanchal and Laxmi.

Wildlife SOS

Today, under the constant care and treatment provided by the Wildlife SOS veterinarians and elephant care staff, both Maya and Bijli have been able to make remarkable progress. Maya spends hours playing in her pool and going on long walks with her best friend Phoolkali. While, Bijli, whose name means 'lightning' in Hindi, truly lives up to her name and is always keeping her companions and caregiver on their toes with her antics.

Lavish party for both

On Maya and Bijli's 10th rescue anniversary, the Wildlife SOS team organized a lavish spread to mark the celebrations. They were treated to a mouth-watering feast of bananas, watermelon, papayas & cucumber laced on a delicious 'cake' made out of cooked pulses.

Wildlife SOS

"Maya and Bijli's story highlights the condition of nearly 2500 elephants in India who are beaten, starved and used for begging, performances and weddings, or for giving joy rides to tourists. As we celebrate their decade-long journey with us, it is reassuring to see that our efforts have made a positive difference to their lives and we will continue to help more such elephants in distress," Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-Founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS said.

Love and care can make a huge difference

"Captivity denies elephants the very basic necessities essential to their survival and well-being. It is a pleasure to see the difference that a few years of love and care can make to their lives. We are grateful to the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department for helping us provide Maya and Bijli with a second chance at a kinder, safer life," Baiju Raj MV, Director - Conservation Projects, Wildlife SOS said.

Wildlife SOS, established in 1995, started working with elephants in the year 2010 with the aim of saving India's elephants. In 2010, Wildlife SOS established India's first Elephant Conservation and Care Centre, Mathura in collaboration with the UP Forest Department as well as India's first Elephant Hospital, Mathura in 2018.