Elephants have repeatedly been cited as one of the most intelligent animals and it is known how they feel emotions as deeply as human beings do. Sometimes even deeper. While the human world has its own share of grief, somehow that never stops them from inflicting further grief on our animal friends.
Animals being trafficked and abused to fulfill whims and fancies of human beings is an uncomfortable truth that has been brought to the fore several times. This is exactly what a recent Facebook post by freelance writer from Bangalore, Sowmya Vidyadhar, highlighted. She uploaded a photo of two elephants who seemed to bid a final goodbye to each other with their trunks, minutes before the trucks they were both getting taken away in parted ways. This picture indeed does speak a thousand words and could drive the most unfeeling of hearts to tears.
The photo which, as Vidyadhar mentions in her caption, has been taken somewhere along the Indian highway. Her caption reads as: “A picture taken somewhere on the Indian highway. Two elephants reach out in a brief moment of love and bonding before being taken away from each other for a lifetime of serving man. How this image breaks my heart! #love”.
This is her facebook post:
In India and even across the world, elephants have often been trafficked for their ivory tusks and also their skin. In spite of several efforts by animal activists and other organizations the rate at whih cruelty towards animals has gone up is alarming to say the least. Removing animals from their natural habitats also have long term negative effects on the environment and ecological balance.
Her post found several supporters in the comments who succesfully kicked off a long ongoing discussion on how such abuse towards animals need to be stopped. Animals feel pangs of separation as much as humans do and probably it indeed is high time humans live up to the expectations one has out of civilised mammals.
