Bhunte felt sad today after hearing a story about Kaila. Kaila was abducted by a group of cruel humans when he and his herd were crossing through a village. Now, he is a working elephant who has endured immense torture and trauma as a juvenile. He was tamed harshly. Nowadays, Kaila gives rides to people, and they mistakenly believe he is one of the happiest elephants because he keeps nodding his head. However, they don’t realize that this behaviour is a sign of psychological stress. 

 

Kaila longs to be as free as other elephants and reunite with his family—unchained and unburdened! Every time he sees that pointed iron hook, painful memories of his taming flash before him, and he becomes petrified. Kaila desperately wants to be free.

 

Bhunte says, “As humans, refusing to participate in such ‘fun’ rides can help reduce the trauma for tamed elephants and prevent future instances of taming. Next time you go on a safari or a jungle excursion, think twice before riding on this majestic and intelligent animal.” 

 

Bhunte is afraid of crossing a boundary—the boundary that leads to that harsh reality!

~Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel

For Bhunte.