Laxmi
Year of arrival: 2013
Age at the time of arrival: 18 years old
Sex: Female
Recognisable features: Plump and short
Health condition when rescued: Grossly overweight; osteoarthritis and exhausted joints
Facility: Elephant Conservation and Care Centre (ECCC)
Favourite food: Apple
Closest to: Bijli and Chanchal
Favourite activities: Long walks along with her caregiver; untying knots of her haynet enrichment
Background: The elephants that come under our care usually suffer from malnourishment and emaciation but Laxmi shocked us with her excessive weight. Laxmi was a ‘begging’ elephant in Maharashtra, whose life was a tiring routine of walking on unnatural stone surfaces. Her diet was devoid of any nourishment as she was being fed sweets and fried food from the streets. | READ MORE ABOUT LAXMI
laxmi’S STORY
At the young age of 18 years, Laxmi was enduring a serious case of severe osteoarthritis due to her heavy weight. During her time of begging, she was being fed unhealthy fried food from the streets, which led to Laxmi rapidly gaining weight. When rescued, the veterinarians at Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Centre considered the reduction of her weight an utmost priority in order to avert any heart diseases and further stress on her arthritic limbs.
Having lived a life confined to chains and in solitude, she was introduced to Bijli and Chanchal at the centre. The two elephant companions have hugely helped Laxmi heal psychologically, helping her reveal her fun-loving and playful side.
When she is out on her walks, Laxmi quickly changes her path to head to plants she wishes to feed on. She refuses to come back on track till her caregiver lures with dates and green cherries! Laxmi also knows well-enough that if she opens the knots of her hanging enrichment, all the food within it will fall down and will be much easier to eat. Knowing that she is a foodie, our team is happy to satiate her appetite with healthier alternatives to what she was earlier fed with.