Elephant Sisters Rescued After 50 Years in Circus Chains

Sita and Mia are sisters that spent 50 years living in chains.

They are Indian elephants who were kept in a circus. But thanks to Wildlife S.O.S. they are now free.

The chains had dug into their feet and caused them to grow misshapen. They hadn’t been allowed to lay down to sleep, either.

“Both Mia and Sita have very painful feet. For Sita, her situation is exacerbated by the fact that she has a poorly healed fracture in her front leg that has limited her movement… thus preventing her the ability to lie down and rest,” writes Wildlife S.O.S. We know it has been at least a year since she has lay down and slept.”

The sisters were taken care of by an expert vet and made the 1,200 mile trip to their new home — an elephant sanctuary.

Mia was so overwhelmed by the freedom that she collapsed and went to sleep.

“While we don’t know when exactly Mia was last allowed to do this, it’s clear that this is something she has needed to do for a long time. Daily rest is essential for an elephant, but very often they are deprived of this necessity when they are chained on the front and back legs. This was the case with Mia.”

“Mia and Sita seem so much happier already,” Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder of Wildlife SOS, said in a press release. “It’s almost like they sense they are going to get a happier life where they will not be forced to perform in circuses anymore – a life where their aching and painful joints will get the rest and the care they deserve.”