Animals do not deserve the treatment that many humans give them, that is why knowing about the rescue of this elephant fills our hearts with joy and happiness. His name is Raju and after living more than 50 years in the worst conditions, he is breathing easy again, thanks to a foundation that decided to do something to save him.

The elephant could not hold back his tears and cried when he saw his rescuers.The pachyderm was captured by poachers when he was small and had since passed through different owners through illegal sales.

Unfortunately, none of those people resigned themselves to take care of him properly, but added to the pain of living in captivity, the poor elephant was subjected to the most pitiful conditions.

The little animal was known for its nobility among the locals.

This creature experienced the same tragedy as thousands of exploited elephants around the world. But his agony ended when the London-based organization Wildlife SOS won the legal suit to save him from the hands of his last owner.

The most touching part of this story was the fact that during his rescue Raju began to cry.

The elephant was in very bad condition with shackles on his legs that were hurting him, but he was also quite thin.

The creature survived thanks to the generosity of some tourists who fed him, but when that didn’t happen he was forced to eat whatever he could find, even if it was as toxic as plastic cans.

After going through so much work it was obvious that he would be thrilled to see his rescuers.

After a year of legal struggle and with the permit ready, the organization’s volunteers carried out the rescue operation in the early hours of the morning. Everything was coldly calculated for the operation to be successful, but no one guessed what the elephant’s reaction would be.

His freedom was at hand.

Pooja Binepal, who participated in the operation, said she had never seen an elephant cry before.

“The team was shocked to see how tears kept streaming down Raju’s face during his rescue. We knew in our hearts that he realized he was being released,” Binepal said.

For the rescuers, this was the first time they had witnessed such a scene. The operation took longer than expected because of the spine-like chains with which the animal was restrained, but as they worked Raju kept crying. This situation moved them all and prompted them to get him out of that horrible place as soon as possible.

While this was happening, the elephant’s owner was threatening and fighting to prevent the rescue.

This little animal finally got the release he deserved for years, he should never have left his mother’s side, but now he will be able to live in a better place.

The elephant was transferred to the Elephant Conservation Center in Mathura. He arrived there at midnight, after a journey in the company of the veterinarians and workers who rescued him.

Waiting for him at the site were seven other elephants that found a better life at the center.

Now this friend will no longer have to endure hunger and much less the mistreatment and humiliation committed for years by the people who took care of him.

Raju will be protected by trained staff and will have enough space to walk freely and enjoy a proper diet.

Although all animals should live in their habitats, the wrong done to this elephant can no longer be made right and leaving him alone in the wild could be tantamount to condemning him. Raju does not have the same abilities as his relatives and would be easy prey for anyone, but after his pain and tears only a better life awaits him at the sanctuary.

Man has hurt so many animals that efforts to save them are too little in the face of all the need that exists, but scenes like this rescue inspire us to keep fighting for them.