Approaching an elephant, Asha, carefully, a vet and his assistant draw some blood for tests at India's first hospital for the long-trunked mammals, which opened its doors in Uttar Pradesh on Friday (November 16). Asha, 67, has been abused and lost all her molars as well as much of her hearing. Another elephant, Asha, 49, has chronic leg issues, as she was abused in a circus and suffers from foot abscess. Elephants in India, numbering about 25,000 in the wild, are an endangered species. While revered as a cultural and religious icon, they are also hounded when they wander into human settlements, damaging crops and homes, and trampling people. Hundreds of elephants across India are held in captivity to perform touristic as well as religious rituals at forts, palaces and large temples. They are often ill-treated by their mahouts and owners who use sharp metal hooks to make them obey instructions.
