This campaign has stopped and can no longer accept donations.

Help Us Free The Elephants- Mala & Shyla

Story
Updates (6)

We are running this campaign, as an extremely urgent appeal to help us to rescue two very ill and unhappy elephants, Mala & Shyla (names changed to protect their identity till the rescue process is completed).

They are suffering in the most unbearable conditions and displaying horrific signs of continuous abuse and exploitation.

1) Stereotypical behaviour (These are repetitive behaviour patterns, such as continuous swaying of the head, banging the head against a wall, swaying of the body, which are indicative of deep psychological trauma)

2) Severe foot rot

3) Digestive diseases due to poor and inadequate nutrition

They are chained on concrete floors, used for commercial purposes, devoid of any natural environment or interaction with other elephants. They have each, lived like this, in total misery and isolation for decades.

But we say ‘No More’! With your help, we can bring them home, help them settle into our existing elephant family and give them a chance to live out the remainder of their lives in peace, without chains!

We cannot divulge their names or location at present, as many seek to oppose our rescue efforts, as they would lose the opportunity to continue exploiting these animals for commercial gain. We would not like to jeopardise our efforts to bring these elephants out of commercial captivity and relocate them to our Elephant Care Facilities, as we are in the initial stage of beginning actions to rescue these animals, working in close cooperation with the Animal Welfare Board of India, Forest Department and the institutions who are holding these animals.

All our five rescued elephants have been handed over voluntarily, by the very institutions that held them captive. This was due to active dialogue and engagement with the custodians helping them understand, that life in chains , alone and ill, is no life at all for a majestic, social and highly intelligent species, like an Elephant! Though time-consuming, we value this approach, because it helps bring about positive changes.

We need financial support to make site visits, appeal to the authorities, conduct inspections, build infrastructure for them at our rescue facilities, grow fodder, hire staff, organize veterinary and behavioural care and rehabilitation.

While the road ahead is hard and may take months, before we can bring these two elephants home and change their lives for the better; we are confident that with your support, we can do it!

Won’t you reach out and help them? They have no one but us in their corner, right now, let’s show them, that there is a whole family waiting out there to help them, love them and support them!

Please visit our website – www.wrrcindia.org to know more about our Captive Elephant Programme.

Budget for 1 year - INR (For two elephants)

Site Visits – 50,000/-
Enclosure Restructuring - 3,61,000/-
Mahout Cost – 5,00,000/-
Advocacy Actions – 1,00,000/-
Food & Veterinary Care – 4,89,000/-

Does any elephant deserve to live behind bars?

Help us save them from this miserable life in chains !

Help us take their misery and pain away forever!

Ask for an update

Donated to this campaign via Paytm or bank transfer? Click here if you have not received an email confirmation from Milaap.

4th March 2018

Dear Donors,

We write to share some exciting news on Shyla (whose real name we can now reveal is Gowri) ! We would like to inform you that the Najangud Temple in Karnataka, has given up Gowri to us for a period of 3 months for medical care and treatment.

This is after a lot of complaints and pressure we have put on the State Forest Department to act. Gowri was paraded in the streets and has all the associated problems with commercial captivity.

We are trying to convince the State Departments and the Temple, that the best course of action is for her to be retired and allowed to reside permanently at our Elephant Care Facility, where she will not have to work.

Aneesha, the elephant rescued from a life as a logging elephant, is already housed at our Malur facility, and she has been delighted finally to have an elephant friend in the form of Gowri.

The funds we raised through your kind support, will at present be used for Gowri, since she is already in our custody as of yesterday. For Mala, we are continuing to advocate for her release but both the state departments and temple is yet to respond.

We encourage you to visit our Malur Elephant Care Facility in Karnataka, and meet both Gowri and Aneesha, whose care , your kind contributions are supporting.

We thank you for remaining patient and for your continuous encouragement and we hope to have good news for you very soon , regarding Mala as well.

For now, here's a lovely picture of Aneesha and Gowri meeting for the first time.

Thank You
Warmly
Team WRRC

23rd January 2018

Dear Donors,

We regret to inform you of further delays in our attempts to rescue Mala & Shyla.

In the case of Mala, we requested the High Court of Tamil Nadu if the elephant could be housed in the WRRC Elephant Care Facility located in Marakkanam, Tamil Nadu. The court ordered an inspection led by the Animal Welfare Board of India to declare that the facility met with the guidelines and elephant could be sent there. Thereafter, the institution currently holding Mala has not made any attempt to send the elephant and is resisting all efforts to discharge the Court Order. WRRC will be initiating Contempt of Court proceedings against the said institution, however in the current political atmosphere in India, we have to move carefully and expect further delays caused by the institution management, who do not want to lose the opportunity for financial gain by holding the elephant in unsuitable conditions for public viewing. We will continue our efforts to rescue Mala, using the legal channels available to us and will inform you as soon as any concrete action takes place.

In the case of Shyla, despite our best efforts, the institution holding her currently has requested the authorities for more time to comply with the orders, that state she be sent to our Elephant Care Facility, in Malur , Karnataka.

We are hopeful of your continued support and remain indebted to you for your encouragement and contribution towards our Captive Elephant Welfare Programme.

Thank You
Warmly
Team WRRC

17th October 2017

Dear Lovely Elephant Friends,

Our efforts to free Mala & Shyla continue, as the Forest Dept has not yet acted to grant us custody of the two elephants, although we have received a letter for Mala. In the case of Shyla, the temple has promised the authorities that they will improve her living conditions. Hence, we are continuing our advocacy efforts to help them give her to us in case they are unable to implement the same. It is a long struggle in India to free these gentle elephants and we continue to remain committed to our efforts to help them have a chain free life in our Elephant Care Facilities.

We remain grateful for your support and will keep updating you on the progress of these efforts.

Thank You
Team WRRC