When a circus elephant learns that she is finally free, she collapses with joy

Sita and Mia, two circus elephants, endured 50 years in captivity and spent their whole lives in chains. The two elephants were saved due to Wildlife SOS and are now enjoying their first moments of freedom at an elephant sanctuary in India.

The two elephants’ feet were in bad health after years of being chained. “Mia and Sita both have aching feet. Sita’s predicament is made more difficult by the fact that she has a poorly healed fracture in her front leg, which has hampered her movement and prevented her from lying down and resting,” says Wildlife S.O.S on Facebook. We know it’s been at least a year since she’s had a good night’s sleep.”

Expert vets will care for the two, and they will receive much-needed foot rehabilitation. “Warm foot soaks, swimming, exercising on natural soft surfaces, medicine, a particular diet, and lots of rest” will be part of the plan.

Soon after, the two elephants embarked on a long truck ride to their new home. The Wildlife S.O.S. team was worried about Sita’s ability to endure the long trek, but she astonished them. Sita expressed her delight along the route by waving her trunk joyfully to passers-by from the truck.

After a journey of 1,200 miles, the two elephants finally arrived at the Elephant Conservation and Care Center in Mathura.

It sure looks like they are smiling during their first few steps, chain-free.

On her first day at her new home, Sita jumped into a pool for the first time. “We believe this was her first time ever getting to swim,” the organization adds, despite the fact that she is now over 50.

And Mia did something she hadn’t done in a long time: she lay down. “One of our happiest moments is captured in this photograph. Mia lay down and fell asleep quickly after arriving at the rescue center, according to Wildlife S.O.S.

“While we don’t know when Mia was last given permission to do this, it’s evident that it’s something she’s needed to do for a long time.” Elephants require daily repose, but they are frequently denied of this need when they are chained on the front and rear legs. This was Mia’s situation.”

The two elephants are loving their newfound freedom. They are happily sharing a dust bath together….

In a news statement, Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder of Wildlife SOS, remarked, “Mia and Sita appear so much happy already.” “It’s almost as if they anticipate a nicer life ahead of them, one in which they will no longer be compelled to perform in circuses — a life in which their hurting and pained joints would receive the rest and treatment they need.”