Lakhi The Tortured Blind Elephant Will Get To Live Happily Ever After
After decades of mistreatment and torture by her owner, Lakhi the 60 year old blind elephant is finally on her way to a real home where she will be treated properly and live happily ever after. Lakhi is on her way to Elephant Conservation and Care Centre which is operated by UK charity Wildlife SOS. The centre is located in the city of Mathura India where she will have the company of several other elephants that have also been rescued. This is great news for her fans who have been worried about Lakhi ever since her plight first became known about.
Tortured throughout her life
According to Wildlife SOS, Lahki was used by her owner to beg for money and was never given appropriate food for an elephant nor the chance to rest properly. She was found suffering from abrasion and puncture wounds that were the result of her constantly being restrained with spiked chains around her feet. Wildlife SOS says Lakhi had been whipped throughout her entire life and there are a number of visible wounds, on her chest, back and forehead. The charity adds that there is also what appears to be painful swelling on her left temporal region which is testament to the incredible suffering she must have undergone. According to Wildlife SOS, one particular injury inflicted by her previous handler appears to have damaged her vision, leaving her blind in both eyes.
“For more than seven years, we had been trying to rescue the blind elephant, Lakhi, and two other elephants owned by one Ramesh Lekhraj Pandey. In the past two years, the other two passed away after being forced to beg on the streets of Pune. We are happy to have saved Lakhi from a hellish life of abuse.” People for Animals (PFA) activist Manoj Oswal said.
Tip helps rescue Lakhi
Two months ago PFA received a tip which said Lakhi’s owner was going to use the elephant to work on a film shoot. PFA confirmed the tip and then registered an official complaint with the Raigad range forest officer. The all important evidence that the elephant was being forced to work on a film set was recorded by a judicial magistrate in the city of Pune and Lakhi was then handed over to the PFA Mr. Oswal added.
Court rules in Lakhi’s favour
The battle to save Lakhi was still not over, because the previous owner took legal action against the PFA in an attempt to get her back. Finally a few weeks ago, Lakhi’s freedom from torture became official. In a Facebook post, the ResQ charitable Trust said the court had ruled in Lakhi’s favour and she would soon make her way to a permanent home with Wildlife SOS in Mathura. The court took note of both the extreme cruelty Lakhi underwent and her awful medical condition which was the product of years of torture and pain Mr. Tanvi Kulkarni who chairs the PFA said. He adds that he is thrilled Lakhi will finally get justice and get to live in a natural environment happily ever after.