Most of us have never really had any dealings with elephants aside from perhaps seeing them at a circus or the zoo. These gentle giants are not only beautiful, however, but they are also highly intelligent and they have emotions very similar to humans in many ways.
That is where Sook Jai comes in. The female elephant is now somewhere in her 70s and it’s only been a few years since she gained her freedom. When you hear her story coming can’t help but be touched and when you see her crying, you will cry as well.
Sook Jai was a begging elephant that worked on the streets of Thailand when she was young. Her owners did not treat her kindly and by the time she was in her 70s, she was tossed aside because her over at no more use for her.
More than likely, she would have been killed but Elephant Nature Park heard about her and decided to organize a rescue. They talked the former owner into handing her over and after she was away, she was cared for beautifully.
The unfortunate thing about Sook Jai is the fact that she was treated so cruelly that she was full of scars and open wounds. She must have been tortured for much of her life. She had a hard time hearing and was completely blind.
After they put her in the back of a truck, they left for the sanctuary. They were already treating some of her wounds as she was heading for her new home.
She was nervous about what was happening and refused to eat. I’m sure that she was afraid of getting abused by the new people around her. They continued to care for her, making sure that she didn’t get too hot and pouring water on her when necessary.
When Sook Jai realized that she was safe, she had an emotional reaction. Large tears started to pour down her face and you could tell that she was hoping things would be better where she was going.
You can also see the moment when she put her trunk in the air, almost as if she was letting people know that she felt her victory and release were close at hand.
Watch more in this video:
Source: YouTube