Szpital i SPA dla maltretowanych słoni

Pictures by Roger Allen. Words by Tim Friend. It's absolutely the biggest thing in health spas, darling – one designed to care for elephants. Even so, when jumbo-sized Ginger, Tara, Arya and Zara check in for a session it presents everyone with a mammoth task. They're among the hundreds of ill-treated animals who are getting the VIP treatment at India's first elephant hospital near Agra, a few miles from the Taj Mahal. The hospital proudly boasts the world’s biggest jacuzzi. "The elephants love it so much that sometimes they’re reluctant to get out. You can actually see tears of joy in their eyes after years of cruelty", says the CEO of the Wildlife SOS charity, which runs the hospital partly with the help of donations from the UK. And there's nothing frivolous about the elephants’ treatment session, says Kartick Satyanarayan. The jacuzzi is for hydrotherapy, to help with pain management, part of state-of-the-art care provided by experienced vets. The hospital is now an international centre for research and learning. Ginger, aged 62, like many of her rescued pals, is blind, made deliberately so by cruel owners to exert control. At the hospital they're carefully given eye drops to ease irritation; their damaged ears and tails are gently massaged with creams and powder. Their teeth and gums which have suffered years of poor diet are inspected and treated. The latest mobile X-ray equipment, ultrasound, and laser therapy are used to diagnose and treat fractures and wounds. The elephants have suffered appalling injuries while being used for begging, and exploited by circuses. The pedicures are crucial because the elephants’ ultra-sensitive feet pads designed for walking on forest floors, have been made to walk on hot, rough pavements. Carers often find nails and other debris painfully lodged in their toes. Their days of malnourishment and starvation are over as well. No micro-diets at this spa. There's 400 kilograms of veg, fruit and sugar cane a day for each elephant. Kartick said: "To see them make a recovery is very moving. But there are hundreds more out there that need our help and we rely on the generosity of our donors." India is home to more than 50 per cent of the world’s Asian elephant population. There are 25,000 in the country now, compared to a million a hundred years ago. They're officially endangered, due to shrinking habitats, ivory poaching and illegal trafficking. More than 3,500 live in captivity, many suffering neglect and abuse with no medical care. One of them was Suraj (Sun, in Hindi) a 45-year-old bull elephant who lived in dark, damp captivity at a temple for 40 years. Kept in chains, he was beaten, emaciated and desperately unwell. His left ear was torn off while being poached as a calf. Wildlife SOS mounted a daring rescue operation against local opposition. Now he’s fully recovered, his tusks back to their former splendour. Kartick said: "For a country that so reveres elephants, even as gods, it’s shocking that they are sometimes treated so badly." Ends Wildlifesos.org. Pictured: GV,General View Ref: SPL10762993 150224 NON-EXCLUSIVE Picture by: Roger Allen / SplashNews.com Splash News and Pictures USA: 310-525-5808 UK: 020 8126 1009 eamteam@shutterstock.com World Rights,