At a time in her geriatric life when she required utmost care and attention, Sita would continue her arduous routine as a performing elephant for a circus. With no rest, exhaustion dominated most her day, and Sita could be seen swaying as she tried to sleep while standing. Sita would cower at the sight of humans as the painful training broke her spirit and the scars on her body recited their own story of abuse. She would be given a meagre diet, unsuitable for her age and the lack of medical attention led her to develop seriously wounded foot pads which were infested with maggots. In spite of her body visibly showing signs of exhaustion, she would continue to perform in agony. Sita’s medical assessment revealed that she suffers from an ankylosed forelimb, possibly due to an unhealed fracture as a circus elephant. Her sunken temples showed the severe neglect that she was put through only to make her owners’ convenience. Once rescued by Wildlife SOS, Sita has inspired us with her unwavering strength as she would slowly walk around the Centre, take elaborate dust baths and pick out branches from the trees. She crossed the rainbow bridge in 2017 leaving her companions, Rhea and Mia as well as the entire Wildlife SOS team with a void that could never be filled. Read more about Sita’s bravery.
