解開50年腳鐐 大象喜極而泣！
▲「野生SOS」的救援人員目擊，拉祖被卸下腳鐐重獲自由時，喜極而泣。（圖／翻攝自網路）
在世界各地都有虐待動物的情況發生，他們的殘忍程度令人震驚。拉朱的故事只是眾多故事中的一個。
50多年前拉祖(Raju)被捕獲後，被囚禁在印度的北部。長期遭受被銬著腳鐐、鞕打和虐待。大量帶刺的枷鎖和長期的飢餓使牠愈加虛弱。日復一日，主人強迫牠長期伸出長長的鼻子，向路過的遊客乞討幾個銅板，以及靠遊客的隨手施捨過活。
據推斷，拉祖至少換過27個飼主。 唯一不變的是，牠長期受虐，瘦到只剩皮包骨，有時候甚至要吃塑膠袋和報紙充飢。牠不僅身上有多處傷口，腳更因為長期被腳鐐銙起來而經常流血，卻被置之不理。
有一天印度北部的林業部門向北倫敦的野生動物保護慈善機構發出求救，希望他們幫助拉祖(Raju)走出困境。
當英國一個名為「野生SOS」(Wildlife SOS)的慈善組織得知這可憐的動物的處境時，決定立刻飛到印度要替拉祖「斷開鎖鍊」，前往救援。
就在7月4日美國獨立紀念日(國慶)當天的午夜時分， 一支由10人組成的救援團隊展開大膽行動，他們會同20名農林部官員和6名警察， 在北方邦(Uttar Pradesh)地區把受苦受難的拉祖搶救出來。
當人們把拉祖的腳鐐缷去時，據現場的救難人員見證，喜獲獨立的拉祖，竟然歡喜得當場流下「大象的眼淚」，讓在場目擊的人都十分震驚。
接下來，「野生SOS」用卡車將他送往馬圖拉的大象保護區，讓他展開新生。
接下來，「野生SOS」用卡車將他送往馬圖拉的大象保護區，讓他展開新生。
▼除了一支由獸醫和野生動物專家組成的10人隊伍，20名林業部門官員，6位警察也加入了營救計劃。為了拯救牠幾乎出動了一支軍隊。
印度一隻名為拉祖(Raju)的大象，為供遊客欣賞，被銬住腳鐐長達50年。（圖擷取自每日郵報）。
▼他們發現拉祖(Raju)被鐵鏈鎖著，已經很長時間了。
▼這支隊伍決定在晚上進行營救，以便於避免牠的“主人”和其他人干擾這次計劃。
▼拉朱的傷口不斷地開裂，牠身上鐵鏈上的釘子每天都會一次一次的扎進牠的肉裡。
- 腳鐐上的尖刺也造成萊玖腿上流血。（圖擷取自每日郵報）
- 萊玖長期遭到虐待，瘦到皮包骨，身上也有多處傷口。（圖擷取自每日郵報）
- 救難人員推斷，牠至少換過27個飼主。（圖擷取自每日郵報）
據《每日郵報》報導，萊玖長期遭到虐待，瘦得皮包骨，牠為求溫飽，甚至還會吃塑膠跟紙張果腹。牠不僅身上有多處傷口，腳鐐更是緊緊戴了50年從沒拿下過，腳鐐上的尖刺也造成萊玖腿上流血，救難人員看了都非常不捨。
救難人員表示，萊玖身世坎坷，自小便遭到不肖人士銬上腳鐐在街上娛樂遊客，救難人員推斷，牠至少換過27個飼主。而牠去除腳鐐後終於重獲自由，這也是牠50年來第一次享受到的自由滋味。
▼被解救之後，淚水從拉朱臉上滑落。
▼“救援團隊很驚訝的看到這只大象眼中留下了淚水。這對所有人來說都是無比震撼的。我們確信大象自己的心裡也清楚，牠自由了。”
▼大象的狀態很差，牠渾身傷口，極其瘦弱。
▼牠被注射了鎮定劑，運往馬圖拉的大象保護及護理中心。
▼牠的露天旅行使牠第一次嘗到了自由的味道。
▼一到護理中心，他們就給拉朱洗了個澡，開始緊急治療。
▼牠被喂養，也被關愛著。
▼漫長而艱難的救援不僅感動了拉朱，同樣也感動了參與救援的所有人。
▼現在牠開心的生活，遠離病痛和一切煩惱。
野生動物救援組織的英雄們將拉朱從數十年的折磨中拯救出來，牠從此擺脫一切折磨，步入幸福直到永遠。
如果你也被震撼到了，請分享這篇文章。將來有一天，如果你也碰到虐待動物的事情發生，請一定做些什麼，或者讓更多的人知道，這世間不應有任何無辜動物再遭受苦難。
Incredible sight of the elephant that cried: Raju was held in chains, beaten and abused for fifty years and on the day he was released tears rolled down his face
- Raju was held in chains for more than 50 years after being poached in India
- The animal bled from spiked shackles and lived on hand-outs from tourists
- Team from North London charity Wildlife SOS travelled to India to free animal
- Raju cried tears of joy after being freed from suffering on American Independence Day
- Five-and-a-half tonne animal driven 350 miles away to safe conservation area
These incredible pictures show the moment an elephant who was held in chains and beaten and abused for fifty years cried as he was released to freedom.
Raju the elephant was left bleeding from spiked shackles and living on hand-outs from passing tourists after he was captured and tied up by his ‘owner’.
But, after 50 years of torture, the animal cried tears of relief after he was rescued by a wildlife charity in a daring midnight operation – fittingly on American Independence Day.
Scroll down for video
Raju the elephant was said to cry tears of joy as he was released from spiked shackles in the Uttar Pradesh area of India after fifty years of torture
North London-based charity Wildlife SOS stepped in to save Raju after learning of his plight in India
North London-based charity Wildlife SOS stepped in to save Raju from dying in his bonds after learning of his plight in India.
Every day, the majestic animal was forced to hold out his trunk and beg for a few coins from passers-by – surviving only on plastic and paper for food.
However, last week, a 10-strong team of vets and wildlife experts from the charity were joined by 20 forestry department officers and six policemen to seize Raju from his suffering in the Uttar Pradesh area of India.
The mission took place under the cover of darkness, as fewer people would be around for the dangerous rescue and the animal could be protected from the searing heat of the sun.
Pooja Binepal, the charity’s UK spokesman, described the rescue as ‘incredibly emotional’ for the team.
She said: ‘Raju has spent the past 50 years living a pitiful existence in chains 24 hours a day, an act of intolerable cruelty.
Every day, the majestic animal was forced to hold out his trunk and beg for coins from passers-by - surviving only on plastic and paper for food
The elephant was left bleeding from spiked shackles and living on hand-outs from passing tourists after he was captured by his 'owner'
Wildlife SOS vet Dr Yaduraj Khadpekar tries to free Raju from the chains which he was kept in for 50 years
Wildlife SOS founder Kartick Satyanarayan said: 'The chains around his legs had spikes which were cutting into his flesh - and each time he moved puss would ooze out of wounds. Pain and brutality were all he knew'
‘The team were astounded to see tears roll down his face during the rescue. It was so incredibly emotional for all of us. We knew in our hearts he realised he was being freed.
‘Elephants are not only majestic, but they are highly intelligent animals, who have been proven to have feelings of grief, so we can only imagine what torture half a century has been like for him.
‘Until we stepped in he'd never known what it is like to walk free of his shackles – it's a truly pitiful case.
‘But today he knows what freedom is and he will learn what kindness feels like and what it's like to not suffer any more.’
The daring rescue came exactly a year to the day since the charity was alerted to Raju's plight by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department in India.
A confiscation process went through the courts as Raju's owner did not have any legal documents for his possession meaning the charity could rescue him from suffering.
It is not known exactly how Raju came into his plight, as little is known about his early years, but the charity believes he was poached from his mother as a young calf.
Once rescued, he was loaded into an open-top lorry, given additional sedation and escorted 350 miles to the charity's Elephant Conservation and Care Centre at Mathura
The daring rescue came exactly a year to the day since the charity was alerted to Raju's plight by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department in India
The charity has now launched a campaign to raise £10,000 for Raju to help begin the start of his new life
Ms Binepal said: ‘The poachers either slaughter the mother, or they drive the herd into traps that are small enough only for the babies to fall into. The mother cries for her baby for days after he's been stolen – it is a sickening trade.
‘The calves are then tied and beaten until they submit to their owners – their spirits are effectively broken.
‘We discovered Raju's case was particularly tragic.
‘He'd been poached as a calf and then he has been sold on and sold on. Incredibly we believe he has had up to 27 owners – he's been treated as a commodity every two years of his life.
‘By the time we found him in July 2013 he was in a pathetic condition. He had no shelter at night, and was being used as a prop to beg from dawn until dusk from tourists visiting the sites of India.
‘He hasn't been fed properly and tourists started giving him sweet food items and because he was in a state of hunger and exhaustion he began eating plastic and paper.
‘His nails are severely overgrown, he has abscesses and wounds because of the shackles and continually walking on a tarmac road has led to his foot pad overgrowing.’
Once the court order was finally issued, a team led by Wildlife SOS founder Kartick Satyanarayan carried out two days of surveillance before launching the rescue.
Pooja Binepal, the charity's UK spokesman, described the rescue as 'incredibly emotional' for the team
Raju, after his release, with reformed former mahout Sonu Ali who will care for him at the sanctuary
Over the weekend, Raju received emergency medical attention to his wounds as well as a bath and food
Mr Satyanarayan said: ‘As we watched we quickly realised we had to act as quickly as possible as his situation was so desperate and the cruelty so extreme so we decided to move the rescue forward by a day.
‘The chains around his legs had spikes which were cutting into his flesh – and each time he moved puss would ooze out of wounds. Pain and brutality were all he knew.
‘His cruel handler even tore out the hair from his tail to sell as good luck charms. The exploitation and abuse just had to stop.’
However, even on Thursday evening as the mercy mission began, Raju's owner tried to prevent his rescue.
Mr Satyanarayan said: ‘He began to shout commands to terrify Raju – and try to provoke him.
‘It created an incredibly dangerous situation as a bull elephant could snap a human like a tooth pick if he becomes afraid or angry.
‘When that failed he then put a series of chains around his legs in an attempt to prevent us removing him – so viciously tight that were cutting into his legs.
Elephants are not only majestic, but they are highly intelligent animals, who have been proven to have feelings of grief, so we can only imagine what torture half a century has been like for him.
‘But we stood our ground and refused to back down – and as we did so, tears began to roll down Raju's face. Some no doubt were due to the pain being inflicted by the chains, but he also seemed to sense that change was coming. It was as if he felt hope for the first time in a very long time.
‘We knew it was now or never so we made the drastic decision to move his transportation truck closer and then walk him 200 yards.
‘Every step would have been agony, but we had to take him, or he could have vanished forever. We decided we'd remove the shackles once we'd got him to safety.’
Incredibly, Raju calmly complied, despite every step causing searing agony.
‘It was as if he knew we wanted to help him,’ Mr Satyanarayan said.
Once he was loaded, and given additional sedation, a convoy then escorted the five-and-a-half tonne elephant, 350 miles on the back of an open-top lorry to the charity's Elephant Conservation and Care Centre at Mathura.
‘Incredibly he stepped out of his truck and took his first step to freedom at one minute past midnight on July 4th, which felt so extraordinarily fitting,’ Mr Satyanarayan said.
‘The other elephants in the sanctuary awoke from their sleep as we pulled in and came to have a look – it was an extraordinary moment.’
Raju was then fed bananas, banana leaves, mango and bread and biscuits and given water before the charity's head wildlife vet Dr Yaduraj Khadpekar began the painstaking process of removing his shackles.
Mr Satyanarayan said: ‘It took him and two handlers 45 minutes to liberate him as they'd been wound round his legs to prevent their removal and to cause pain if anyone tried to take them off.
‘We all had tears in our eyes as the last rope which held the final spike was cut and Raju took his first steps of freedom.
‘The entire team were exhausted, but incredibly elated as he has suffered such unthinkable abuse and trauma for so, so long. He'd been beaten so badly, his spirit is broken.'
The rescue took place under the cover of darkness, as fewer people would be around for the dangerous rescue and the animal could be protected from the heat of the sun
A 10-strong team of vets and wildlife experts from the charity were joined by 20 forestry department officers and six policemen to seize Raju from his suffering in the Uttar Pradesh area
Over the weekend, Raju received emergency medical attention to his wounds as well as a proper bath and food.
‘It will be a long rehabilitation process, but we will teach him that humans don't mean pain and brutality, but it's going to take time,’ Mr Satyanarayan said.
‘When he is ready he will initially join two companion elephants called Rajesh and Bhola, who once also suffered unthinkable cruelty.
‘They've both been rehabilitated and once he settles he will learn how to live again by following their example, before he joins the rest of the elephants – including five flirtatious females to live out his days.
‘But for the moment he's tasting freedom for the first time in his life and he'll spend the rest of his life in a safe compound living out his days in dignity, free from suffering and pain.’
The charity has now launched a campaign to raise £10,000 to help Raju begin the start of his new life in a new enclosure which will allow him to roam with his adoptive family.
請一同拒絕並反對任何形式的動物表演與騎乘活動
希望有小孩的家長...觀念能好一點
教導孩子一個進化的人性觀念
Earthlings：
A sad photo of a dead carriage horse on W. 54 St. Healthy horses do not just drop dead on the street, which only begs the question: Must we still be carted around the cemented streets of NYC by these helpless beasts of burden?
紐約市觀光馬車的馬匹，倒斃街頭 .....
旅遊觀光時，請勿乘座任何的動物觀光遊覽
(馬匹，大象，駱駝 ...... 等 )
沒有消費，就沒有傷害。
旅遊觀光時，請勿乘座任何的動物觀光遊覽
(馬匹，大象，駱駝 ...... 等 )
沒有消費，就沒有傷害。
