If the people who previously owned Chanchal had been more diligent, she would never had to endure the pain that befell her on the morning of June 29, 2012.
On that day, in Noida, India, Chanchal, and another elephant, were hit by a speeding truck, according to a blog post by Wildlife SOS. In the aftermath, the driver drove off, leaving one elephant dead and the other hanging onto life. Wildlife SOS received a call tipping the group off to the incident.
Chanchal was in a terrible state. Open wounds from the accident marked her body – bits of nail from the vehicle and glass were embedded into her injuries. She had major internal injuries in her right hind leg. She was in pain, dehydrated and malnourished.
With the support and comfort of an entire veterinary team, Chanchal started on her road to recovery, but it wasn’t going to be easy. Traumatized from her past experience, Chanchal was a loner who wouldn’t even interact with other elephants. But as it turned out, all Chanchal needed was time to adjust to her new life.
“It took her approximately a year to get over her traumatic past as a begging elephant and get comfortable with her newfound freedom at our Elephant Conservation and Care Center,” Wildlife SOS wrote in a recent Facebook post.
“Today, Chanchal is approximately 20 years old and is in excellent condition. She loves long walks with Laxmi and Bijli, her best friends,” the post reads.
When Chanchal isn’t hanging out with her best friends, she loves spending her time rolling in mud or being doused in water.
“Today she is full of energy … and enjoying her new friends,” Wildlife SOS wrote on Facebook.
“Playful as ever, Chanchal has lived up to her name (Chanchal means ‘mischievous’) with her daily antics, winning hearts every day,” the post reads.
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