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For most of her life, Ginger was adorned with colourful chalk paint and made to walk on hot tarmac roads as a begging elephant. She was subjected to regular beatings, starvation, and a cruel apathy. Ginger lived under the constant threat of being beaten or prodded with a bullhook (ankush). Sheer brutality eventually led to her becoming blind.[…]

For Ginger, life has been anything but kind. For most of her life, the frail pachyderm was adorned with colorful chalk paint and made to walk on hot tarmac roads as a begging elephant. Geriatric and blind, Ginger was subjected to regular beatings, starvation, and a cruel apathy at the hands of her captor. Nothing was certain in Ginger’s life[…]

In the cold month of December, the Wildlife SOS Rescue team set upon an arduous journey to the city of Hathras in Uttar Pradesh to rescue a blind and geriatric pachyderm. The team had received intel about the horrific abuse being inflicted on this frail pachyderm being used for begging. The elephant was being forced to live in a world where she[…]

Just a day after Pari’s successful rescue, the Wildlife SOS team sets out on another mission to rescue Ginger. At approximately 60 years of age, Ginger has been living life as a begging elephant, adorning bright paint on her face and extending her trunk in front of people in the hopes of alms. At some point in her life, Ginger had been blinded[…]

Year of arrival: 2021 Age at the time of arrival: 60+ years-old Sex: Female Personality traits: Timid and shy Recognisable features: Blind Present Health Condition: Suffering from sloughed footpads, malnourishment, blindness, degenerative joint disease and severe arthritis. Undergoing regular foot baths, laser therapy, and […]

Elephants, the majestic giants of the animal kingdom, possess a remarkable feature that sets them apart – their extraordinary trunk! This incredible appendage, composed of around 150,000 muscle units, ranks them as one of the most sensitive organs found in any mammal. Let us delve into the fascinating world of elephant trunks, exploring their[…]

For wild animals, winters are a difficult period due to the drop in temperatures and the lack of abundant food sources. Being endothermic, they must maintain their internal body warmth despite the chill. Cellular metabolism, the primary source of internal heat, demands considerable energy. However, scarcity of sufficient food prompts many species […]

In life, change is the only constant, and the key to navigating it lies in our ability to adapt to them. Caregivers at our centres embody this very spirit during every changing season of the year! By trying new and effective measures, they ensure the safety and well-being of our rescued animals. When it comes to bull elephants, significant[…]

The history of circuses and their treatment of elephants is a dark and sordid tale that spans many decades. For animals, bright lights and loud noises of the circus ring are a far cry from their natural habitat. Magnificent creatures from the wild were thrust into a life of captivity and servitude, all for the sake of human entertainment and[…]

No matter how much we ever try, we can never truly understand what it is like to spend nearly 60 years being dragged forcefully from one place to another, merely for the purpose of begging. Holly is well aware of this feeling, as she herself underwent that horrific experience. This was the story of Holly, prior to her life at Wildlife[…]

It’s no secret that winters and holiday season go hand-in-glove. ’Tis also the time when the jovial atmosphere of the festive season transforms us and the chill in the air calls for wrapping ourselves in jackets, scarves and blazers. Overwhelmed by the merry environment the end of the year brings, the staff at the Treatment Unit of the[…]

It was a tense yet hopeful winter afternoon in November 2021, when our team was preparing to rescue an elephant who had been battered by the absolute nadir of humanity. From there, it was a long journey to bring Pari home. Here, home refers to the Wildlife SOS Treatment Unit of the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre (ECCC) in Mathura. As[…]

The Cambridge dictionary defines the word ‘freedom’ as “the condition or right of being able or allowed to do, say, think, etc. whatever you want to, without being controlled or limited.” In this definition, the emphasis on ‘you’, as a human being, is a clear indication. However, who is to speak of this freedom for animals such as[…]

Every year August 12 is heralded as World Elephant Day wherein the world comes together to raise awareness about the declining population of elephants. For esteemed Indian actress, Jennifer Winget, this was the perfect opportunity to contribute to the fight for India’s elephants by spending three days volunteering with Wildlife SOS. What ensued […]

Her very first memory was of being surrounded by the warmth and safety of her mother. The leopard cub’s mother would pick her up by the scruff of her neck and scout for different locations, where intruders wouldn’t harm them. The two had travelled quite a bit until they chanced upon a huge field with tall stalks of sugarcane that could[…]

For thousands of years, humans have depended on nature for survival.  A plethora of plants have been a boon for humans, providing various resources for sustenance and even healing. At Wildlife SOS our veterinary team often turns to such herbal remedies to care for our rescued elephants! Guided by the principle of ethnoveterinary medicine, a[…]

Dung, poop, excreta, faeces, droppings, scat - these terms are guaranteed to make one uncomfortable. Despite it not being the perfect topic for discussion, the fact is that excretion is a natural phenomenon and one that is absolutely necessary! When an animal consumes food, a proportion of waste is expelled in the form of urine and faeces.[…]

You might be wondering where the question mark is in that query. But for us at Wildlife SOS, it is not a question but a reality which we have been dealing with for a long time, and still do. So we will try to answer what a begging elephant is as best as we can. These elephants are emaciated and malnourished, and made to walk on the streets of[…]

Like a tradition that binds a family together, Christmas has become an integral part of Wildlife SOS. As December commences, every Wildlife SOS Rescue center reverberates with rumblings of ideas to make Christmas a joyous and memorable occasion for our resident animals. This year our care teams in Maharashtra, Agra, Bangalore, and Mathura left no […]

2021 has been a difficult year with the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. While it continued to affect all aspects of our lives, the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response teams remained committed to the cause and responded to myriad wildlife rescue calls. To pay homage to our dedicated and hard-working teams, we are highlighting some of the most[…]

Throughout the year Wildlife SOS has been fortunate to receive support from nearly 200 supporters who have started their very own fundraising campaigns for wildlife using Facebook’s fundraising tools. We’re incredibly grateful to each and every person who dedicated their birthday, wedding, holidays, or special occasion to wildlife by[…]

Much like 2020, the uncertainty of COVID lockdowns and restrictions posed significant obstacles to overcome for our rescue teams. But these added challenges didn't slow our efforts to help as many captive elephants as we could, bringing four new members to the Wildlife SOS family. Please welcome Emma, Nina, Pari and Ginger! SUPPORT THE[…]

62-year-old Erika’s history is shrouded in pain, agony and utter neglect – however, that hasn’t subdued her indomitable spirit in any way. If anything, this dauntless courage shines through every day that we’ve known her. From the exhausted, weak, and utterly malnourished elephant that roamed the dusty streets of Haryana to the tall,[…]

As the bright sunshine pierces through the dense fog and mist of the morning, our elephants can be seen pausing amidst their walks to bask under the sun at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Centre. The month of December, with its unpredictable and delightful rainfall, prepared us all for a chilly winter that was lurking around the[…]

As gentle rumbles puncture the dawn at the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre in Mathura, 47-year-old Mia can be seen against the horizon with her constant companion Rhea, both of them walking at a slow, measured pace. Having reached the last leg of their daily walk, the two suddenly caught a whiff of something interesting; they sauntered off[…]

“They say an elephant never forgets. What they don't tell you is, you never forget an elephant.” Anyone who meets Maya will heartily agree with the above statement. Once you interact with the exuberant pachyderm, it is impossible to forget her vivacity and joie-de-vivre. As she stands tall and proud munching on fresh, juicy sugarcane next[…]

Almost a year ago, an elephant navigating through the congested city roads of the National Capital of Delhi would have been a common sight for the residents and the tourists, alike. Some would feel pity for this elephant while, some would fight with her owner for putting her through this misery. A casual glance at Jasmine, one of Delhi’s last[…]

We had to say "goodbye" to our king today. Over the years, we have witnessed the heart-breaking departure of many of our beloved animals - but the passing of each of these precious souls reinforces that saying goodbye is never truly easy. It was a warm summer day in 2017 and an atmosphere of excitement lingered in the air at the Wildlife SOS[…]

Imagine spending your whole life in shackles, both mental and physical – never being allowed to exit the length of the chain that binds you, never allowed to roam freely under the open skies and most importantly, never even knowing your family for decades and decades. Now imagine being poked with spikes every time you take a step, having small[…]

As dusk settles over the city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh, a group of people looks for a Striped Hyena on the loose. Spotted during the early hours of the morning, dangerously close to human habitation, the residents are whipped into a state of panic due to many misunderstandings surrounding this species. In this highly frenzied state, the hyena[…]

The majestic demeanour of an elephant seldom remains the same once subjected to a lifetime of abuse and neglect; chained for hours at a stretch, subjected to cruel training methods and living in constant fear of being beaten and poked by a rusted iron ankush (bullhook) can be detrimental to their physical and mental well-being. Such is the story[…]

Year of arrival: 2018 Age at the time of arrival: around 60 years old Sex: Female Personality traits: Tranquil and reserved Recognisable features: Compromised gait, diffused joint of the right leg, smallest of the trio that is Kalpana, Karma and Holly, completely blind in both eyes Present health condition: Suffering from[…]

Entering through the thick and dense forested area of Wildlife SOS Ch. Surinder Singh Elephant Rehabilitation Centre, Ban Santour, Yamunanagar in Haryana, a beautiful, long lashed Ella can be spotted taking measured, slow steps on the soft ground, occasionally pausing for a break to spot a fresh fruit on the tree! As her keeper waits for her to[…]

When one decade of abuse seems like a lifetime, imagine the trauma of five decades of unimaginable level of abuse, cruelty and neglect, waking up each day with a yell and then being dragged on to the unforgiving streets of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh for begging. Raju had already lived 50 years of abuse, brutal training, disciplining and breaking[…]

Every year, the onset of the harvest season brings about the unavoidable encounter with leopards and leopard cubs that have sought refuge in the tall dense sugarcane fields in the state of Maharashtra. Due to a variety of factors including deforestation, habitat encroachment and poaching, leopards are continuously forced to leave their forested[…]

Winter had barely left Mathura in February 2015 when Lakhi arrived at the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre – she was over 60 years old, a blind former-begging elephant rescued from the streets of the city of Pune. She seemed timid, and nervous – blindness is an added burden for captive elephants that can never really tell where the next[…]

February 2017 brought some much welcomed respite from the chilly weather and a rather unexpected new arrival at the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre, Mathura. A call from the local Forest Department alerted the team to the plight of a young bull tusker whose owners had hacked off parts of his tusks in the hopes of selling them for money.[…]

Our journey with Mohan started long before he arrived at the Elephant Conservation and Care Center. For more than a year, his hunched figure, weak and emaciated, had been in the middle of our most complicated and controversial rescue operations — and the fierce legal battle that accompanied them. After a volatile mob thwarted our first rescue[…]

Laxmi was 18 years old when we first heard about her. She worked as a begging elephant in the state of Maharashtra, standing outside a temple with her companion elephant and begging for alms from the devotees that visited. Every day, as devotees thronged the temple, the two elephants would stand mournfully at the entrance, gingerly picking money[…]

As dawn broke over Somatwadi village, located a few kilometers away from the bustling city of Pune, seasonal farmers woke up to another busy day harvesting their sugarcane crops. Around the same time, a mother leopard decided to venture out to the neighboring forest to hunt while leaving her young off-springs hidden safely amidst the tall dense[…]

Warm sunlight reflects of his magnificent tusks, as the large bull elephant steps gingerly off the Wildlife SOS Elephant Ambulance and into the Elephant Conservation & Care Centre, Mathura. For Suraj, whose name literally translates to ‘sun’ in Hindi, sunshine is as special a treat as the sugarcane and bananas being offered to coax him off […]

By Aishuwarya Sudarshan What would stop you from getting home to a warm couch on a chilly winter evening?? Perhaps a four foot cobra sitting on your bike!!! Our Christmas Surprise was a call that came from the Delhi Metro Rail Depot when an employee jumped off his bike after hearing a hiss from the engine. Mr. Shekar, an employee of the Delhi[…]

By Aishuwarya Sudarshan Every bear that comes into our centre has a unique story; one usually filled with trauma and fear. Kaveri's story was like most other dancing bears, but with so much more pain that it's a miracle she survived. Despite her painful early years, she has blossomed into a happy bear and flourishes at our rescue centre[…]