April 16, 2018
Bollywood actor Sidharth Malhotra on Monday extended his full
support to elephant rescue efforts, after a visit to the rescue and
rehabilitation centre run by Wildlife SOS.
A special guest at 'Save the
Elephant Day' celebrations at the centre, he expressed concern over the plight
of Asian elephants.
Sidarth spent time with rescued elephants Laxmi, Maya
and Phoolkali, feeding them fresh fruits - bananas, sugarcane, and watermelon.
He also interacted with the veterinarians at the centre providing treatment to
the elephants and learning about the status of Asian elephants in India.
The highlight of the visit however was his keen interest in Gajraj, the
70-year-old tusker rescued from Maharashtra's Satara.
Used in temple
processions for over 51 years, the elephant was, with advancing age, found to be
suffering from several medical issues like foot abscess, partial blindness etc.
Gajraj is now under lifetime care and treatment at Wildlife SOS's Elephant
Conservation and Care Centre, which is home to over 20 elephants that were
rescued from critical situations and are under rehabilitation now.
Several of these majestic animals have spent a majority of their lives doing
hard work in harsh and cruel conditions, which in turn has taken a negative toll
on them both physically and psychologically.
Sidharth was deeply moved
upon hearing the heart-breaking stories of these elephantsAand what they had
endured before they were rescued by Wildlife SOS.
"Save The Elephant Day
is a great initiative and Wildlife SOS is doing some fabulous work by saving the
endangered species. It's extremely essential for each one of us to do our bit
and help save our animals."
Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are listed
as "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and
protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. India
currently has a population of about 25,000-30,000 elephants out of which about
3,500 are captive.