Gajraj was brought to the royal family of Aundh, Satara, at the age of 12 from the wild in 1965

After five decades as a slave as a temple elephant with a royal family in Maharashtra, a 70-year-old male elephant, Gajraj, was rescued by the state forest department and NGOs on Wednesday. He will be sent to an elephant rehabilitation centre in Mathura. Gajraj reached Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, and will reach Mathura on Saturday.

Gajraj was brought to the royal family of Aundh, Satara, at the age of 12 from the wild in 1965, as a gift to the queen at her wedding. He was made to travel 800-kilometres from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, to Satara, Maharashtra, which took almost a-month-and-a-half.

The rescue operation on Wednesday, led by NGO Wildlife SOS, was marred by locals from the village as they pelted stones at the rescue team since the elephant was an icon of worship, and was made to perform duties at the temple and during various festivals. “Our entire team was in a lot of danger as we were attacked by stones, but police presence helped us move the elephant and our team to safety,” said Wasim Akram, Wildlife SOS coordinator.

According to the elephant’s current medical examination, Gajraj developed partial blindness and a toenail abscess which could spread to the bone. He also has abscesses in the hip and his foot pads suffered severe degeneration. “Being chained for most of his life has had a detrimental effect on Gajraj’s health. He has lost weight and has nutritional deficiencies,” said Dr Yaduraj Khadpekar, senior veterinarian, Wildlife SOS.

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