In the northern Indian city of Mathura, staff at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Centre look after rescued elephants. Here, the elephants are taken in and cared for after having previously suffered neglect or cruelty. To help them with their cause, the staff recently put out a call to the local village for help, as temperatures in the region began to approach sub-zero overnight.
Given their history of mistreatment, these elephants were particularly vulnerable to the colder temperatures. As Kartick Satyanarayan, the founder of the centre told the Times of India, “It is important to keep our elephants protected from the bitter cold during this extreme winter, as they are weak and vulnerable having suffered so much abuse, making them susceptible to ailments like pneumonia,” she said. “The cold also aggravates their arthritis which is a common issue that our rescued elephants have to deal with.”
The solution provided by the community is as heart warming as it is colourful. Local women from the nearby village have created custom-made woollen garments, to help provide the elephants some warmth.
Villagers knit jumpers for Indian elephants to keep them warm. Read more here https://t.co/o4zIraSXBr #India #elephant #jumpers pic.twitter.com/UrhJoLbSWM
— Elephant Family (@elephantfamily) January 21, 2017
The centre currently provides shelter for twenty elephants, with staff hoping to rescue a further fifty elephants by the end of this year
