An Elephant Cried When He Was Rescued After 50 Years Of Suffering [View all]

[G_j]

Reading this reminds me of how all of us who believe in kindness and compassion should never back down. See what compassion did for this one suffering soul. Bless the rescuers!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rossalynwarren/an-elephant-cried-when-he-was-rescued-after-50-years-of-suff?bffb

Here is an elephant called Raju. Raju lived in India, where he survived off handouts from passing tourists, and sometimes would eat plastic and paper to fill his empty stomach.



But thankfully after 50 years of being held in chains, beaten, and abused, Raju has been saved by a charity in a daring midnight rescue operation.

On Thursday at midnight in the Uttar Pradesh area of India, North London-based charity Wildlife SOS freed Raju in an operation that moved Raju the elephant to tears.



Elephants have a huge hippocampis, a brain structure in the limbic system that’s important in processing emotions. Elephants are deeply emotional and intelligent and exhibit a wide variety of behaviors, including those associated with grief, self-awareness, memory, and language.

The charity’s U.K. spokeswoman Pooja Binepal said the team were astounded to see tears roll down his face during the rescue. She added: “It was so incredibly emotional for all of us. We knew in our hearts he realised he was being freed.”

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The charity has since launched a campaign to raise £10,000 to begin the start of his new life in a new enclosure that will allow him to roam with his adoptive family.

To donate to Raju and his adoptive family, visit www.wildlifesos.org, or send cheques or postal orders to: Wildlife SOS, 483 Green Lanes, London, N13 4BS.