WHAT?! 4 Rescued Circus Elephants Ordered to Return to Abusive Life in the Big Top

Elephants are some of the most incredible animals to exist on Earth. They are highly intelligent, emotional, family-oriented, and despite their huge size, graceful! Unfortunately, their beautiful presence is so awe-inspiring that they are frequently exploited and used in circuses. After all, just watching elephants walk is amazing, so what could be more remarkable than watching one perform tricks!

However, the reality of the matter is that elephants are not born inherently knowing how to dance or spin hoops on their trunks. They have to be taught these tricks, and their training is anything but pleasant. To obey commands, elephants must be essentially beaten into submission so that they eventually fear their circus “masters” and lose their will to fight back. To do this, trainers use painful bull hooks to make sure elephants don’t act out. Once they are completely submissive, elephants are subjected to practice and perform for hours on end, and when they’re not performing they’re simply chained up like property.

Life in a circus is no life for an elephant, to say the least.

Luckily, there are people who care about this issue and work hard to free these animals from their cruel captivity. Earlier this year, for instance, Wildlife SOS successfully rescued four elephants in India from the inhumane conditions they were being subjected to. The four elephants were part of a 60+ group of circus elephants Wildlife SOS was aiming to rescue.

Shockingly enough, after just a few months of peace at a sanctuary, the court has decided to overturn the decision meaning these elephants will actually be forced to return to the circus! That’s right, after years and years of abuse and just a snippet of actual peace and relaxation, these animals will be returning to a horrible life of cruelty and pain. That is unless the people forcing this decision are stopped!

After hearing about this horrific overturning of the original court decision, Wildlife SOS instantly created a petition to save these poor creatures. Considering the ages of these elephants (25, 35, 41, and 52) and the physical and mental ailments they now face due to the trauma they have been put through, Wildlife SOS is certain that a return to the circus will be absolutely devastating for these animals.

Elephant Veterinarian Dr. Yaduraj Khadpekar said, “The blind and injured elephants have had a small taste of freedom. All the efforts in providing them medical care and treatment will be lost if they are returned to the circus.”

We completely agree. These elephants are not fit to return to the taxing life in a circus (not they ever were fit to do so). After everything these elephants have put up with, the least we could do is provide them with medical care and a bit of compassion. Despite what circus owners would like you to believe, these animals are not ours to own and exploit for entertainment. They are creatures with their own personalities and feelings and deserve to live in peace.

If you agree, consider signing Wildlife SOS’ petition to free these precious animals!

All Image Source: Wildlife SOS