Raju the elephant was held in captivity for over 50 years after he was poached in India. After being held in chains which were spiked and forced to survive off whatever tourists could give him to eat, the elephant was finally rescued by a wildlife charity just two months ago.
Wildlife charity SOS heard of his plight and in a daring midnight operation, they freed Raju who cried upon his release.
It is now feared that Raju could be removed from his safe sanctuary and shackled again after the owners who mistreated him filed a legal petition for his return as their lawful property.
The elephant who was being treated at a safe sanctuary by a team of medics and professionals to bring him back to health, now risks being sent back to his captors.
Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder of Wildlife SOS, the group which rescued Raju, said it would contest the owners' claim on the grounds of their cruelty:
"We are going to fight it.
"The animal is on the path of recovery and is doing fine after being rescued from slavery. He was on the verge of death when he was rescued and since then we have invested a lot to rehabilitate him.
"We have a foolproof case against the self-proclaimed owner including that he has no ownership documents. Moreover, the treatment the elephant received was against the law. We will put these facts before the court and pray for Raju's freedom."
Although elephants are protected by law in India, it is reported that several thousand are still kept by abusive owners and mistreated by their handlers while being forced to work under harsh conditions.
