Rhea was in a circus for 50 years. Her two sisters who were in the same circus were rescued 5 months ago. But Rhea had to stay because the rescue team, Wildlife SOS, an NGO in India, didn’t have her proper paperwork.
Anyhow, they collected the proper paperwork and went to set Rhea free. Her legs were in a very bad condition with deep scars from the chains, and destroyed soles because of the lack of exercise. According to the vets that examined her understood that she was taken from her family at a very young age. Rhea was force-trained to work in the circus.
The Wildlife SOS team went to transfer her from the circus to the elephant sanctuary, where her sisters live.
Rhea got the opportunity to eat a lot of fresh fruit, take breaks to go to the bathroom, and stretch her legs as she didn’t have the chance to do for many many years as the sanctuary was 1.300 miles of the journey. She lay down and took naps and had her own personal shadow by a handmade roof of coconut leaves.
She has got the life she deserved.