Suzy is a blind performing elephant that has suffered a lot of neglect at the circus where she was forced to perform. She was chained most of the time with little or no exercise. Suzy is approximately 60 years old and it is evident from her stereotypic behavior that she was subjected to mental torture and continuous chaining & confinement. Formerly, one of India’s 67 remaining circus elephants, Suzy has been rescued by Wildlife SOS and has arrived at her new home at the Elephant Care and Conservation Centre where she is receiving veterinary and lifetime care.
After arriving at her new home, Suzy has been trying to adjust to the new environment. As she is completely blind in both eyes, our keepers accompany her 24 x 7 to avoid her bumping into trees or other elephants. Suzy has no lower molars, thus a very soft but completely nutritious semisolid diet has been planned for her. She is being fed light fodder and peeled & mashed fruits to avoid any dental pain. It becomes a little difficult for her to chew sugarcane, that’s why sugarcane leaves are provided to her from time to time, together with other green fodder that has been finely chopped.
Suzy has started enjoying her morning and evening walks with Lakhi & Asha and is guided by her keeper on the way. She also took her first bath under watchful eye of Wildlife SOS vets and keepers. She entered the pond very slowly and stood still in the water for some time just like a baby who doesn’t know how to take the first step. Our keeper then entered the pool, made her comfortable by petting her, gently calling her name and then Suzy slowly started to take dips in the pool and enjoyed her long pool play.
Currently, Suzy is receiving necessary medical treatment for her injuries and foot care for her overgrown foot pads and cracked toenails. Eye drops are also being used to maintain correct eye PH level. It’s been over a month since she was rescued, but she still seems a little hesitant to interact with other elephants. Laxmi is trying to be friends with Suzy by coaxing her with her trunk & petting her affectionately, but Suzy is still scared to be with other elephants. After a lifetime of misery, Suzy certainly deserves all the time in the world to be an elephant again. You can get regular updates on Suzy and help us provide her on-going care by sponsoring her here; https://wildlifesos.org/blog/portfolio-items/suzy/?cat=elephant
