Elephant Rescued After 70 Years Of Abuse Tears Up As She Realizes She's Safe

Aug 31, 2020 by apost team

Sook-Jai, a beautiful 76 years old elephant in Thailand, had endured a lifetime of mistreatment before finally being rescued by the Elephant Nature Park’s rescue team in 2017.

As Sook-Jai embarked on a 20-hour journey to get to her new home at the park, rescuers noticed she started to tear-up in a heartbreaking moment, when she seemingly realised the worst was now behind her.

According to Elephant News, Sook-Jai spent her entire life in captivity. Though not always in a cage itself, her life was certainly not spent revelling in freedom. She never had a single, long-lasting home. Instead, she was sold and resold to owners who treated her poorly and forced her to work long and gruelling hours a day in and day out for nearly 50 years. It got to a point where Sook-Jai didn't have the strength to keep going.

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After spending decades on decades of performing for tourists, Sook-Jai's body took a turn for the worst. After losing her sight, she also became largely deaf, making it difficult to do her job. That's when animal lovers came to the rescue.

Elephant Nature Park, which is associated with the Save Elephant Foundation, works to save elephants from misfortune and cruelty. Once they were informed of Sook-Jai's condition, they started their efforts to rescue her. After hard work and dedication, they brought her to Thailand, where she will have a permanent home in the elephant sanctuary.

According to the sanctuary, Sook-Jai has been given a sponsor named Joan Baez who has dedicated her life to preventing elephants from enduring cruelty.

After a 20-hour trek to Sook-Jai, volunteers and employees from Elephant Nature Park made it to then 73-year-old elephant. Sook Jai was in rough shape with evidence of abuse throughout her body. In turn, officials spent the 20-hour trip home caring for Sook Jai and treating her many wounds.

The drive to the sanctuary was probably one of the best moments of Sook-Jai's life. They fed the hungry elephant and kept her comfortable. Treating her with dignity, the workers showered the elephant with the love and compassion she should have had her entire life.

One of the best moments of Sook-Jai's trip to her forever home is something you can actually see. After being shown love and kindness for one of the first times in her life, Sook-Jai can be seen literally crying. Clearly overwhelmed by the goodness of these individuals, Sook-Jai lets her guard down, and her vulnerability shows.

Toward the end of the journey, Sook-Jai makes it to the sanctuary where she will finally know some rest. The deaf and blind elephant cannot actually see or hear where she is, but if her new caregivers' kindness is any indication of what she is about to experience, she knows it is a good place where she will finally receive respect.

Soo-Jai's story is not completely unique. All over the world, majestic elephants like Sook-Jai endure cruelty at the hands of businesses. Fortunately, the brave individuals who have dedicated their lives to animals like Sook-Jai are there to protect and save them.

Though Sook-Jai spent over 50 years of her life in captivity, the elephant has finally found rest and freedom. If you know someone whose day would be made by this heartwarming story, be sure to show them the amazing liberation of this beautiful creature.