Fifty years of abuse finally ends....

This story will touch your heart. No animal should have to endure this kind of life !
This is the story of an Indian elephant, captured and taken away from his mother when he was a tiny baby.
He was then chained and beaten until his spirit was totally broken, and he was obedient to his captors. After that, he was used for work, or any other purpose they needed his strength and abilities.
He was sold over and over through the years, often being starved and abused; and when he was found, he was being used as a begging elephant for tourists visiting India. He ate about anything th tourists fed him, including plastic and paper.
The chains on his legs had spikes, which cut into him as he walked, making painful sores so it hurt him every time he tried to take a step.

When the rescuers came to free him, and the chains started coming off of his legs; Raja understood that he was finally being rescued, and huge tears of joy and gratitude rolled down his leathery cheeks....

http://youtu.be/6_sszsBdpso

What a heartbreaking story, I'm glad that there was a happy ending though. I can't fathom how someone could be so cruel to such a beautiful creature. Humans truly sicken me at times.

I've seen this on YouTube and it was a triumphant moment for the elephants. What's really heartbreaking is that elephants never forget people and the places and events that happened to them. I can only be hopeful that the elephants will eventually recover. Man has a responsibility to these creatures and to be used horribly, being maltreated all that time, the former owners should be in jail. There are some tourist destinations where elephants were allowed to roam free. In a way, this also helps spread awareness for them to be safe and to be taken care of.