14 DAY TRIAL // Conservationists have recently come to the rescue of an obese elephant owned by people in Muland, India. The elephant is a female, and her name is Lakshmi.
By the looks of it, the 18-year-old animal weighs so much that she is experiencing severe joint pain.
What's more, veterinarians who have had the chance to examine her say that, as far as they can tell, she also has acute arthritis.
Ecorazzi tells us that Lakshmi's former owners used to force her to beg. This practice is presently illegal in said part of India, yet they could not be bothered to think about either the law or Lakshmi's health.
“Lakshmi is a classic example of captive elephants being neglected and mismanaged due to ignorance and greed of the owners,” rescuer Geeta Seshamani told the press.
According to the same source, the elephant's rescuers had to use a crane to lift her into the back of a truck. The animal was taken to a rescue and care center in Mathura, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Veterinarians are confident that, in time, Lakshmi will make a full recovery.