Last week, India’s first hospital dedicated solely to elephants opened its doors. Created by the nonprofit organization Wildlife SOS, the hospital will treat sick, old, and injured elephants in the historic Hindu town of Mathura in the Uttar Pradesh state. It has several pieces of important equipment for treating the elephants including thermal imaging, ultrasonography, and tranquilization devices.
In India elephants are sacred animals. Despite this, they are often severely abused. Indian elephants are endangered and have a population estimated at between 20,000 and 25,000. They face many dangers: habitat fragmentation, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict. Examples of the threats elephants face in India include:
- Being held captive to protect coffee workers and crops
- Being treated like objects for entertainment
- Being killed by speeding trains
- Getting electrocuted by electric fencing
In a ceremony on Friday, November 16, Wildlife SOS inaugurated the new hospital.
“I think by building a hospital we are underlining the fact that elephants need welfare measures as much as any other animal,” Geeta Seshamani, co-founder of Wildlife SOS, told Reuters TV.
The facility is geared up with loads of special tools and medicine to help the elephants recover and live healthier lives once they have been rescued. It also has an observation deck so medical caregivers and students can learn about taking care of elephants and staff can continue to develop knowledge of best-practices for elephant care. This new facility is a great step forward to providing medical treatment and comfort to elephants who have unfortunately been ripped from their families, pushed out of their habitats, and abused, neglected, and tortured by humans.
From the bottom of my heart and soul, I want to say thank you so very much, SOS for opening a hospital and treating Elephants in India. Your organization and employees are Amazing. Thank you all for everything you do for the Elephants. God Bless your organization, staff, and financial supporters for making all of this happen.
This is good news, thank you.
Well done and congratulations to SOS Wildlife for this great achievement.
Thank GOD for you people & your kindness. The continual stories of HORRIFIC, UNIMAGINABLE & UNSPEAKABLE ANIMAL ABUSE coming out of this country has sickened me to my core. I have lost almost all respect for the people of this nation & hope for its suffering animals. It seems as if people are not committing the atrocities, they are witness to them & doing nothing to stop or apprehend the sadistic bastards beating, torturing, raping, etc…. the poor animals in this hell hole of a country that doesn’t value LIFE.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping these tortured, broken elephants. Thank you for trying to educate the people of this nation. You and your work are invaluable. Thank you again for your humanity. The elephants need YOU, DESPERATELY.
Great news!! Kudos to India.
Take care Coreen
Strange how elephants are considered sacred animals in India and yet are still abused and mistreated.
It’s NOT STRANGE, it’s INHUMANE, IT’S SADISTIC & IT’S EVIL. Don’t sugar-coat it, CALL IT WHAT IT IS. THESE ANIMALS ARE BEATEN SENSELESSLY UNTIL THEY ARE SO BROKEN, THEY MUST COMPLY IN ORDER TO JUST SURVIVE, THEN THEY ARE CONTINUALLY BEATEN OVER AND OVER SO THEY NEVER FORGET. THIS IS HELL, ITS NOT “STRANGE”
I bet the new elephant hospital is not financed by the indian government.
Thank You !
Thank you !
These animals are treated so cruelly. Let’s hope this is a step forward.
Nice to hear good news!!!!
This is good news for the elephants of India. Despite it being illegal to abuse elephants in India, it is still taking place.
*Please* click on the link to Wildlife SOS to learn about one of the elephants that it is trying to rescue. It is heartbreaking to see the elephants still in captivity. God bless Wildlife SOS for making a difference in the lives of elephants and other creatures in India.
Hallelujiah