Raju ‘just the tip of the iceberg’ in cruel elephant slave trade

IT WAS the photo that brought the world to tears. But the rescue of this crying elephant was just the tip of the iceberg in a cruel slave trade.

IT WAS the heartbreaking photo that brought people to tears around the world.

Raju, the traumatised and mistreated elephant freed after being trapped in chains for 50 years, made headlines when he cried after being released and tasting freedom for the first time in his life.

But Raju’s distressing tale was just the tip of the iceberg in India’s cruel animal trade.

Wildlife SOS’ US executive director, Nikki Sharp, said an estimated 3000 animals were being held in captivity in India — in almost all cases, they were held in chains.

Rather than being an anomaly, Ms Sharp said the plight of Raju was the “status quo” in India.

“There are more animals in chains here than the whole of Asia combined,” she told news.com.au

“These animals are usually beaten in some belief it will break their spirit.”

Ms Sharp said even after elephants were rescued, they were never safe, as owners were determined to get them back.

She added a lack of enforceable law and high levels of corruption meant happy endings like Raju’s weren’t as common as people might have thought.

In the case of many animals, help often arrived too late.

Last year, an injured elephant named Bijlee collapsed on the streets of Mumbai, having worked for more than 50 years without a break.

Animal rights activists lifted her off the ground with the use of a crane and gave her treatment, but despite their best efforts she died soon after being rescued.

“Hundreds of thousands of people walked by her and no one had raised a hand to help her,” Ms Sharp said.

And her message for anyone visiting temples, circuses or paying mahouts for elephant services, such as rides, or “begging”, as Raju was forced to do? It’s your fault.

“If this photo (of Raju crying) makes you cringe, take it off your bucket list.”

Sadly, Raju’s case was also common in countries such as Thailand, where elephants are seen as a commodity.

Owner and founder of the Elephant Nature Park sanctuary in northern Thailand, Lek Chailert, told news.com.au there were thousands of abused elephants and her organisation had only rescued a handful of them.

“Most of the elephants that come here have been abused, overworked and broken physically,” she said.

“I’d say 80 per cent have mental problems, some don’t even know they are elephants anymore — they are zombies.”

The activist, who has rescued more than 200 of the animals, said she wasn’t always able to help, with some simply being too sick, some dying and some unable to be prised away from their owners.

“It’s sad because the law here can’t do anything,” she said.

She said her recent rescues included one elephant which had been the victim of a landmine, and another which had been used in trekking and was so skinny you could see its ribs. It also suffered horrendous abscesses from chains and overwork.

Ms Chailert said it was difficult to put a figure on the exact numbers of “elephant slaves”. She predicted there were at least 3000, although in reality she believed the figure was much higher.

She said Australians could do their bit to stop abuse of these animals by simply not supporting it in the first place.

Animals Australia communications director Lisa Chalk said travellers could play a big part in bringing an end to cruelty so that animals like Raju would never need to be rescued in the first place.

“For every Raju, there are a thousand more animals being exploited as a byproduct of tourist industries around the world and their cruel treatment is sadly often perpetuated by unwitting travellers,” she said.

“What people should remember is that culture, tradition or entertainment is never an excuse for animal cruelty — whether it’s forcing bears to dance, marine animals to perform, elephants to beg or be ridden, or tormented bulls to run through the streets of Pamplona.”

She urged people to think before travelling and to choose companies like STA Travel and Intrepid, which had adopted “ethical travelling policies”.