An elephant who was blinded in both eyes and forced to beg by her owners has been rescued by a wildlife sanctuary.
Officials were forced to intervene after they discovered Lakhi was being exploited as a performer and had spiked chains around her feet to stop her escaping.
The 60-year-old elephant was regularly mishandled, beaten and whipped while she was paraded around Indian towns and temples in a bid to get money for her owners.
But a court order allowing a team of vets from Wildlife SOS to rescue Lakhi has finally given her the freedom she deserves.
The beautiful ellie will now start a 1,400km journey to the sanctuary's centre in Mathura, north India.
She will be pampered with fresh fruit and treated to buckets of water to keep her hydrated.
Wildlife SOS wrote on their Facebook page: 'It's a long journey to get there, but it's nothing compared to the hardships Lakhi has already faced.
'She is pretty smart. She picked up the smell of the bananas in the caretaker’s pocket and reached out with the help of her trunk to grab them as he closed his eyes for a little nap on the truck.
%2Bby%2BWildlife%2BSOS%2Byesterday.jpg "Lakhi the Elephant is Free! Blind, Abused, Chained 60 years old Lakhi RESCUED from Life of Beggary")
'Please consider donating to help make her future so beautiful that she almost forgets her past.'
When Lakhi was discovered she had brutal injuries to her chest, forehead, ears and back, as well as damage to her feet and toenails from being forced to walk on tarmac.
She also had a large lump on her head.
Geeta Seshamani, co-founder of the sanctuary, said that authorities needed to be stricter about keeping elephants.
She said: 'Seeing the plight of the captive elephants that we have rescued, perhaps there is a need for stricter guidelines and enforcement of guidelines or some form of checking on the welfare of elephants held in private ownership.'
Satyajit Gujar, deputy conservator of forests in Pune, said: 'We are extremely delighted to see that Lakhi will have a better and healthier life after a lifetime of abuse.'
Yaduraj Khadpekar, a senior vet at Wildlife SOS, said Lakhi would be prone to severe foot disorders for the rest of her life due to her mistreatment.
The Wildlife SOS team has also ordered ophthalmologic experts from the UK to explore the possibility of restoring vision in at least one of Lakhi's eyes.
There are estimated to be around 20,000 Indian elephants left in the world.
Officials were forced to intervene after they discovered Lakhi was being exploited as a performer and had spiked chains around her feet to stop her escaping.
The 60-year-old elephant was regularly mishandled, beaten and whipped while she was paraded around Indian towns and temples in a bid to get money for her owners.
But a court order allowing a team of vets from Wildlife SOS to rescue Lakhi has finally given her the freedom she deserves.
The beautiful ellie will now start a 1,400km journey to the sanctuary's centre in Mathura, north India.
She will be pampered with fresh fruit and treated to buckets of water to keep her hydrated.
Wildlife SOS wrote on their Facebook page: 'It's a long journey to get there, but it's nothing compared to the hardships Lakhi has already faced.
'She is pretty smart. She picked up the smell of the bananas in the caretaker’s pocket and reached out with the help of her trunk to grab them as he closed his eyes for a little nap on the truck.
'Please consider donating to help make her future so beautiful that she almost forgets her past.'
When Lakhi was discovered she had brutal injuries to her chest, forehead, ears and back, as well as damage to her feet and toenails from being forced to walk on tarmac.
She also had a large lump on her head.
Geeta Seshamani, co-founder of the sanctuary, said that authorities needed to be stricter about keeping elephants.
She said: 'Seeing the plight of the captive elephants that we have rescued, perhaps there is a need for stricter guidelines and enforcement of guidelines or some form of checking on the welfare of elephants held in private ownership.'
Satyajit Gujar, deputy conservator of forests in Pune, said: 'We are extremely delighted to see that Lakhi will have a better and healthier life after a lifetime of abuse.'
Yaduraj Khadpekar, a senior vet at Wildlife SOS, said Lakhi would be prone to severe foot disorders for the rest of her life due to her mistreatment.
The Wildlife SOS team has also ordered ophthalmologic experts from the UK to explore the possibility of restoring vision in at least one of Lakhi's eyes.
There are estimated to be around 20,000 Indian elephants left in the world.
Donate : http://wildlifesos.org/donate/
Music: Teller of the Tales by Kevin MacLeod
Source: DailyMail , Wild Life SOS
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