US Ambassador to India, Eric Michael Garcetti, and his family, recently visited the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Centre (ECCC) and the Elephant Hospital Campus (EHC) in Mathura, followed by the Agra Bear Rescue Facility (ABRF) in Agra. Known to have been the youngest mayor of Los Angeles in the last 100 years, US diplomat Eric Garcetti is also a keen animal lover, and shares an immense passion for wildlife conservation!
During his tour of EHC, the first and only elephant hospital in India, Ambassador Garcetti observed the medical treatments given to Ginger, a blind and senior female elephant that was rescued from begging and neglect for 60 long years. He was taken aback to see how well Ginger had been cooperating with the staff members during the laser therapy being provided to her to heal her joint condition. Our team apprised our esteemed guests about the health concerns among captive elephants, and the family witnessed the diligent efforts made for treating injured and geriatric elephants at our centres.
An interactive session with our team of elephant care staff and the veterinarians was then held for the Ambassador and his family, during which daily care and routine activities for elephants were discussed. Our visitors were informed about the different kinds of enrichments included in the elephants’ fields that encourage them to remain physically active and mentally engaged. Learning about the plight of Asian elephants under captivity deeply moved Ambassador Garcetti and his family when our team recounted the rescue stories of the resident pachyderms.
The visit at the elephant hospital concluded with a tree plantation activity, as the US Ambassador planted a tree next to where the Wildlife SOS elephant ambulance is parked.
The Garcetti family was then welcomed at the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre (ECCC), where Ambassador Garcetti and his daughter Maya, were introduced to another Maya, a resident female elephant at the centre! Sharing her name with a playful elephant was met with great excitement by the young girl!
Our visitors also watched a target training session being conducted for Laxmi, a female elephant who was severely obses and had serious medical ailments when she arrived at ECCC back in 2013. The guests were familiarised with the humane techniques employed by veterinarians and caregivers that enabled a safe and positive interaction between them and the gentle giant.
Soon after this visit to our elephant centres, Ambassador Garcetti and his family made their way to the Wildlife SOS Agra Bear Rescue Facility (ABRF), the largest sloth bear rescue facility in India. Here, they got the opportunity to not only observe the bears residing at the centre, but to also witness them play with the diverse enrichments present in their enclosures. The group was made aware of the ‘dancing’ bear practice that was once prevalent in India, and our dedicated efforts that put a stop to this. Poached from the wild as cubs, sloth bears were tortured to perform acts for street audiences.
Wildlife SOS Co-founder Kartick Satyanarayan explained the stories behind many of the sloth bear rescues with great insight into the ‘dancing’ bear project. The rescued, traumatised bears are now rehabilitated under our care, and as part of our comprehensive conservation initiative, Wildlife SOS continues to support alternative livelihoods for the erstwhile practitioners, the Kalandars. Ambassador Garcetti also interacted with officials from the forest department as well as the police at the elephant centres and at the bear rescue facility.
Having viewed the rescued sloth bears and elephants in close proximity, Ambassador Garcetti warmly extended his admiration for Wildlife SOS’s commitment and efforts. He appreciated the loving care given to the elephants and the bears by our caregivers at the centres. The US Ambassador also declared his wish to pay another visit to our centres, and with his daughter Maya, volunteer for our majestic animals as well!
It has been a great honour for Wildlife SOS to have Ambassador Eric Garcetti visit our centres, and endorse the cause of elephant protection and our ‘Refuse to Ride’ petition. We acknowledge his conscious concern for wildlife in distress, and sincerely hope for his continuing support towards our vision and mission.
