Elephant in the Room 8/15

After a 2-day journey of more than 1000 km, Ramu arrived at his new home at the WildlifeSOS Elephant Care and Conservation Centre. In the early hours of the morning yesterday, as the sun was rising and most of the world slept, he tentatively took his first steps of freedom.

Ramu takes his first steps off the ambulance at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Hospital.

Ramu is a young and beautiful bull elephant who has come to us for help. Although he is only 19, he has advanced arthritis and the mobility of an elephant 3 to 4 times his age.

When we look at him, we can see the excruciating pain he is in when he bears weight through his hind legs. His muscles have atrophied from lack of movement and he appears skeletal. However, Ramu is young we hope there is a lot that can be done to help him.

At the Wildlife SOS Elephant Hospital Ramu is receiving laser therapy for pain and healing. Hydrotherapy treatments will help him to regain strength and his ability to move pain free – water has the magical quality to help him move almost weightlessly. In addition, he is getting the best nutritional diet. All this will be done for him with compassion and understanding.

Curious Ramu smells his surroundings during the long journey to his new home.

We know his rescue comes right on the heels of losing dear Bella. We all mourn her and hold her close in our hearts as we work to give hope and a bright future to Ramu.

Ramu is young. If he lives a natural lifespan, he could be with us for 50 years or more. Can you help today? We know Giving Tuesday is a week away, you don’t have to wait to make a difference!

On behalf of Ramu, thank you for making it possible to give freedom to India’s elephants!

Ramu before his rescue. We have seen hints of his apprehensive yet curious spirit, even as he suffers great pain in his hind legs. Medical treatment begins immediately.

Mother Elephant And Her Calf Attacked With Firebombs As Deforestation Drives Them Into The Paths Of Humans

Due to the deforestation across India, numerous elephants can be seen wandering in the villages and communities.

Numerous animals across India have been forced to encroach on human habitats in search of food and shelter, and end up wandering through villages or across crop fields, desperately trying to find a new home. However, people often take extreme measures in order to prevent these animals from damaging their property.

The following photo has caught the moment when angry Bishnupur residents launch firebombs at a mother elephant and her calf as a way to stop them from wandering onto their crops. The panicking animals run across the road, terrified.

The following photo shows villagers who throw stones at a herd passing through their village.

Often, villagers burn torches to wave at the elephants and chase them away

Young people are taking pictures of the wild elephants in order to record such incidents The following photo shows a mother elephant and her calf attempting to navigate the railway tracks constructed through their natural home.

These heartbreaking images were taken by photographer Biplab Hazra, whose goal is to raise awareness about the state of elephants due to their endangered habitat.

According to Independent:“The images highlight the extraordinary level of violence the endangered species faces as they try to survive in smaller, more fragmented habitats. Herds of elephants can cause significant damage to crops, impacting people’s livelihoods. Some farmers use flaming torches to frighten elephants away from inhabited areas.”

Mr. Hazra states:“This happens because the villagers have to save their crops. There are many elephant corridors in human habitations. I’m trying to show this and spread my photos to increase public awareness on the matter.”The last image shows angry elephants chase these people across farmland as they run through knee-deep water and high crops.

Elephants need to spend up to 19 hours a day feeding, and produce about 220 pounds (100kg) of dung a day. While villagers do their best to chase them away, the dung is a key means of spreading germinating seeds, and they are vital in maintaining the integrity of forests and grasslands.

This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed properly and as soon as possible, as the number of Indian elephants has drastically decreased in the past several decades.

An innocent elephant was brutally hacked to death simply for wandering near a farm in search of food in central Kenya’s Imeni Forest, near the city of Meru.

While desperately fleeing angry villagers armed with axes and machetes, the elephant’s leg got stuck in a hole. The assault continued as villagers slashed the already-injured elephant until the animal crumpled to the ground.

It was too late to save the elephant’s life when investigators from Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) arrived at the scene.

Though the disturbing incident happened last year, previously unseen video footage recently surfaced online, renewing hope that the perpetrators will be brought to justice. In light of this new evidence, KWS has relaunched their investigation into the gruesome attack.

The individuals behind this horrifying crime must be held accountable for their actions. Sign this petition urging Kenya Wildlife Service officials to show that killing these highly-endangered pachyderms will not be tolerated by putting every available resource toward finding and arresting the elephant’s attackers.

An elephant’s memory really is a powerful thing. We know that they can remember faces and smells, and recall paths to water and food sources, even decades later. Loijuk, an orphaned elephant who was rescued, rehabilitated and released back into the wild, also will never forget the caretakers that saved her life.

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) rescued her at five months of age, nurtured her, and returned her to the wild, where she has lived for several years. Still, she often returns to visit the people who gave her a second chance at life.

Recently, Loijuk had something special to show her caretakers. Her own baby, now named Lili, was just a few hours old when the mother-daughter pair visited the sanctuary most recently.

In an incredible moment of human-animal encounter, Loijuk allowed her wobbly newborn to meet the sanctuary’s head keeper, Benjamin Kyalo. After petting her smooth skin, he breathed into Lili’s trunk so that she learns his scent for reunions later on.

Thanks to these visits, SWT staff can monitor the elephants and ensure that Lili is healthy and growing. Lili is the 31st calf born to orphaned elephants raised by the sanctuary and returned to the wild.

Loijuk’s story is a testament to the power of saving even one elephant. Because of her, a new elephant family has begun.

Elephant in The Room

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Our companies are known for creating products that enhance people's lives. Through Sunset Corporation of America and its companies, we’re equally dedicated to improving lives. Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment, animal welfare, wildlife issues and encouraging employee volunteerism.

Our companies are known for creating products that enhance people's lives. Through Sunset Corporation of America and its companies, we’re equally dedicated to improving lives. Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment, animal welfare, wildlife issues and encouraging employee volunteerism.

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