Suraj, a 45-year-old Asian elephant, had spent almost half his life in a 12ft-square, barren, dark room – ironic, given that his name means ‘Sunny’ – tethered to a heavy chain.
Despite his emaciation, his broken tail, his missing ear – probably torn off when captured as a calf – his purpose, in a temple in Maharashtra, central India, had been to appear in endless selfies taken by locals and tourists.
Amazingly, despite the 90-strong rescue force, and a baying 200-strong mob who didn’t want their trophy animal to leave, Suraj was asleep when his saviours arrived, unaware his misery was about to end.
Amid the chaos, and the protests of the mahouts employed to ‘care’ for him but who are nasty little men who use fear to control these huge but sensitive animals, Suraj backed calmly on to the waiting vehicle as if he were Frankel, en route to Ascot.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing. Years of poor nutrition left Suraj’s digestive system compromised, and he had many wounds. His feet were in a terrible state, with deep cracks across his toenails, swollen footpads and a twisted right forelimb, causing an abscess between his nails.
Worst of all, he displayed symptoms of psychological trauma. On numerous occasions, he would lie down at night and then find himself in a panic, too weak to stand without the assistance of an on-site crane (support structures have now been built in his enclosure for him to lie against). At weaker times, he was put on an intravenous drip, getting through 20 litres (that’s 40 bags) of fluid a day.
Today, he enjoys a diet of green fodder, fruit and vegetables. His favourite treat is peanuts, which he is fed as a reward for his co-operation during treatment