29 Jun Abused Elephant Who Lived in Chains for 51 Years Is Finally Freed

It’s impossible for any of us who roam free to imagine what freedom after over half a century bound in chains would feel like. We can really only look from the outside and try to form a picture in our minds. For 51 years, 70-year-old Gajraj was kept as a temple elephant by the Royal family of Aundh in the Satara district of Maharashtra, India.

For almost his entire life he was worshiped by local villagers, but life was not happy for the magnificent creature, who was often severely mistreated. Thought to have been captured from the wild in 1965, and then forced to make an 800-kilometre journey from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh to Satara, Gajraj became accustomed to a life of neglect. However, when PETA campaigned for his release, in June 2017. he found himself free for the first time.

1. This picture of Gajraj – whose name translates to “King of Elephants’ – shows him prior to his rescue living  with the royal family of Aundh; here he played an important role in festivities and temple processions 

2. Despite being seen by villagers as a symbol of worship, Gajraj was severely mistreated during his time there; a medical examination revealed that he desperately required medical attention for his toenail  and hip  abscesses which were at risk of spreading to his bones

3. In addition, the aged tusker’s footpads were suffering from serious degeneration. Luckily, after half a century of torment, his plight was called to the public’s attention by a PETA campaign and thousands of requests for his release began to pour in

4. Unfortunately, while the royal family gave him a warm sendoff, the local villagers were not as happy to see him go; Bored Panda reports that many of them became incredibly emotional and hostile, forming an unruly mob as Gajraj was getting ready to leave

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