Update on Raju the Elephant:

[Brigid]

Apparently he has a new girlfriend.

http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/raju-the-elephant-slave-meets-his-new-family-for-the-first-time/story-fnjwkt0b-1226983396082

I am so happy he will have a happy life, eating proper elephant food, getting his wounds treated, and hanging out with other elephants!

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Thanks for this

How lovely!

[littlemissmartypants]

36. Ditto. eom

[Warpy]

2. It looked like he was holding his rear legs out to the keeper for treatment

He's pathetically thin and his legs look deformed.

His "owner" should end up in prison for this, but is probably so desperately poor that just taking Raju away will be punishment enough.

[Enthusiast]

9. I wouldn't wish Indian prisons on anyone, not even this cruel "owner".

[frylock]

13. i wouldn't mind seeing him in that barbed shackle however..

for just a day or so.

[Enthusiast]

15. I know.

How could anyone think such a shackle was alright? So cruel. For some reason I find cruelty to elephants especially egregious, somehow worse than other cruelty. Elephants seem so gentle and loving.

[840high]

28. ......

[one_voice]

51. agree.

[Arugula Latte]

49. I would.

I would gladly see this fucking "owner" tortured in an Indian prison for 50 years.

[catbyte]

53. You're a better person than I am. I am inclined to let him rot.

Animal torturers are the lowest of the low.

[Xyzse]

3. Thank you, this news makes me happy.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Bravo for Raju and those that saved him.

[ohheckyeah]

5. Yippee!

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. yay for raju

[JI7]

7. she is also a rescued elephant, i wonder if they just let people buy elephants in india like cats

and dogs.

they also need to arrest the people who are abusing them.

[KT2000]

37. they are captured

when very young.

[progressoid]

8. 50 years in chains.

[mrsadm]

10. Good news!

[Blue Owl]

11. Sweet! Hooray for Raju!

[MFM008]

12. excellent

you go Raju.

[frylock]

14. my eyes well up a little every time i read about Raju..

so happy for him!

[ColesCountyDem]

16. "The quality of mercy is not strained..."

"The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed- It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes.”

-- Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

[cali]

34. oh dear. like the phrase "discretion is the better part of valour", Shakespeare was employing

irony in the service of exposing hypocrisy. Portia is a nasty piece of work and about as compassionate as Raju's prior "owner"... but I know what you mean.

[ColesCountyDem]

38. Bingo!

Good job!

[cali]

40. Thanks. I wrote an essay on Portia long ago and recently reread it

so that was fresh in my mind.

[Submariner]

17. Brave young men to get in pen with such an abused ele

kudos to them and for Raju's sense that they are there to help him. No more hurt.

[meti57b]

18. May he have yet, many years of comfort, happiness and good food!

[hamsterjill]

20. +1000

My thoughts exactly!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

19. Oh my, oh my

what an overwhelmingly emotional story. Congratulations and thanks to all the people who made a new life possible for Raju. Thanks for posting.

[LynneSin]

21. It makes me sad....

to think an elephant about the same age as me has better luck finding a date then I do

[Brigid]

25. !!!!

[pinboy3niner]

26. DUzy!

[shanti]

50. LOL!

Ain't that the truth!

[Flaxbee]

22. I am so glad Raju is free... however, why did it take 50

effing YEARS before someone did something brave to save this majestic animal?

Grateful now, yes. And not to diminish the bravery and kindness of those that saved Raju.

Just wondering where other people were for the past half century...

[JI7]

48. i read somewhere that he has probably been traded around

i hope he wasn't badly treated all of those years .

[G_j]

23. excellent!

thank you!

[DirkGently]

24. Sweet. n/t

[UtahLib]

27. Such happy news! Made my day nt

[hopemountain]

29. his life is going to be wonderful from here on -

he is with family and free. my own heart is a bit lighter. thanks for the update, brigid

[Fred M]

30. Righteous!

More than happy to K&R

[malaise]

31. Lovely

Thanks Brigid

[Dogtired]

32. Sweet Beautiful Story

God Bless the people who do such wonderful things for such innocent and beautiful creatures who have suffered so much and a special place in hell for the greedy bastards who do such things to them.

[jimlup]

33. One of the coolest stories I have heard in a long time...

Viva Raju!

[littlemissmartypants]

35. Thank you.

Love, Peace and Shelter.

[Dustlawyer]

39. Hard to think that he has been like that for my whole life, since 1963!

[heaven05]

41. thank the maker(s)

some people still have hearts full of compassion for the lesser creatures on this very cruel planet.

[catbyte]

54. Sadly, much too often WE are the lesser creatures...

Actually, I don't see animals as "lesser." They are "other nations", to quote Henry Beston.

[heaven05]

56. ahhh!

So true on US, and I'll use that "other nations". Have to go study Henry Beston. Thanks.

[catbyte]

57. It's a quote from "The Outermost House."Dogpile Henry Beston animal quote

I was 16 when I read that paragraph and it chnged my life & how I viewed life on Planet Earth.

[Shankapotomus]

42. If you feel moved to help, as I was,

you can donate here: http://www.wildlifesos.org/donate

Great story.

[NealK]

43. Aww, what a great news!

I was so moved by his story. <3

[Uncle Joe]

44. Good for Raju.

Thanks for the thread, Brigid.

[myrna minx]

45. .

[catbyte]

46. I just threw them some $ via PayPal. I can't afford much, but Raju just gets to me.

[mountain grammy]

47. good news. thanks for the update.

[JI7]

52. Raju is Wary of Humans "the problem is he has lost his faith in humanity"

This elephant's memory won't let him forget.

The animal lovers who rescued pachyderm Raju in India are working hard to win his trust after he'd been shackled in spiked-chains for 50 years, which soured his opinion of humans.

"The problem is he has lost his faith in humanity. We have to be very cautious and win his trust while doing it. It will take a few days to win his love and trust," Khadpekar said in a video from Wildlife SOS.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/raju-befriends-fellow-elephant-wary-humans-article-1.1861812#ixzz37EGwRnSe

[catbyte]

55. I don't blame him. Animals are often much more noble than humans.

I am sure that he will realize that not all of us are evil.

[JI7]

59. yes, but in a way it seems like a good defense for animals to have

[catbyte]

60. If humans hadn't stolen the life he was meant to have, sure. Now he needs us'

& it our responsibility to make sure Raju has as full a life as possible. He probably saw his mother murdered and who knows what fresh horrors he endured after. I'm just glad he was rescued in time to experience a little joy. I think they can know joy.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

58. I donated a few bucks to help little Raju!

Recipient information

Donations coordinator: Wildlife SOS

[smirkymonkey]

61. Awww! So happy for Raju!

I hope the rest of his life is peaceful.