Rescued elephants wear knitted sweaters to keep cozy in biting cold of North India
Most of us would have knitted sweaters and clothing for our domestic pets, of course, you know what I mean. But there is one organization called Wildlife SOS India that has taken caring for animals to a new level.
Local villagers and volunteers at Wildlife SOS have knitted extra-large sweaters for elephants. The sweaters as you’d guess are massive, so gigantic that it takes a team of knitters almost four weeks to knit one of these, says Wildlife SOS cofounder Kartick Satyanarayan.
As winter makes life difficult in Northern India, Wildlife SOS, Elephant Conservation and Care Center in Agra (230 odd Km from National Capital Delhi) is making these warm woolen sweaters to keep their rescued elephants warm.
Wildlife SOS center has 23 resident elephants. All of these are rescued from wildlife traffickers, circuses, and other exploiting and abusive environments.
The idea of knitting sweaters is to keep them cozy in the unrelenting cold. So far three elephants in the sanctuary have been gifted with sweaters, and if all goes as planned, all the elephants will have their own warm and fashionable sweaters by next winter.
For now, the remaining elephants are provided with blankets to keep warm.
Satyanarayan informs, it’s imperative to keep the elephants warm and protected in the bitter cold, since most of them are weak and vulnerable to ailments including pneumonia because of all the suffering and hardship they have been through in life.
In India where wildlife is under constant threat from poachers and ignorant, steps to protect wildlife are most welcome. All animal from elephants to bears to tigers are fast becoming hunted; efforts like from Wildlife SOS to rescue and care for the wild animals is an example for all of us to follow.
