What would you do if you knew … 
That I was ripped from family when I was just small
Lassoed with ropes and dragged away in a cloud of dust
As my mother cried out with such agony
That you could hear her heart shattering into a million pieces
She tried to save me with all of her might
Swinging her trunk violently and charging at the capturers
But with their whips, and ropes, and weapons, and trucks
She was overpowered and helpless to stop the kidnapping
“Mama!” I cried out desperately after her
As they forced me into the back of a truck and drove away
I watched as my mother chased after the truck until her legs gave way
This would be the last time I ever saw her
Frightened, confused, and alone, I had no idea what was going to happen to me next
And all of this before my first birthday
What would you do if you knew …
That I was forced into a wooden cage
So tight the wooden beams scraped my skin
And all four of my legs were bound with ropes so that I could not move
For the next two days
I stayed like this, starved and without water
As men took turns beating me with clubs and hooks
Driving the pointed metal into my skull
And striking me in my most sensitive parts
Behind the thin skin on my ears and behind my knees and elbows
My own blood stinging my eyes and blinding me
From seeing what blow was coming next
“Mama! Mama!” I cried out again.
“Please make them stop! They’re hurting me!”
But my pleas fell on deaf ears
My mother was hundreds of miles away and there was nothing she could do
Tears streamed from eyes
As I tried to understand what I had done wrong
To deserve such a horrible punishment
What would you do if you knew …
That I desperately struggled
To stay strong as they hit my trunk
My most sensitive body part
Repeatedly with their clubs until I could no longer raise it up
And it hung lifelessly in front of me
I tried to keep my head up and fight against my abusers
But the pain was too great
I was no match for their weapons and relentless torture
And after two days of agony
Dehydrated, starved, and beaten
I broke
My swollen legs no longer able to hold me up
I collapsed to the ground in a puddle of my own blood
My eyes glazed over and my will to live was gone
From that day on, I would no longer be the elephant I once was
A vibrant, playful, happy baby just starting to explore the world
No, that was no longer going to be my life
And that was no longer going to be me
My world was dark now
I was a slave and viewed as nothing more than property
A source of money to the men who stole me from my family
Without remorse and without conscience
What would you do if you knew …
That for the next several months
I was forced to learn tricks for hours without breaks
Riding, and painting, and standing on my hind legs
The bull hook always in view
A constant reminder of what would happen to me if I made a mistake
My body ached from the unnatural movements they forced me to do
And after hours without water and food
As the hot sun beat down on my back and burned my skin
I faltered in my training and fell onto the hard ground with a thud
Not even a second passed by
Before the point of the bull hook came down on my body
Stabbing my flesh repeatedly
Until I once again rose to my feet
To do another several hours of training
My reward for a long day of work
Being shackled with heavy chains around both of my front feet
And chained to a post so short I could not even take one step
I would not be given dinner tonight
Punishment for falling down during my training
What would you do if you knew …
That I was kept in these shackles for hours, days
Sometimes weeks on end
Only getting breaks from my chained, pathetic existence
When my capturers needed me to perform
Once I had made them enough money
My shackles were once again put around
my ankles
Unable to move, isolated, and alone
I began rocking back and forth violently
My intelligent mind going crazy with lack of stimulation
My body, designed to walk for miles a day in the wild
Began to wither and become stiff from lack of movement
And the ground I stood on was so hard and unforgiving
My sensitive feet throbbed
I was often sick to my stomach
From lack of nutritious food
And of course
Always lived in fear of my next beating
What would you do if you knew …
This was my life
That I was tortured and beaten
So that I could perform for you
That I was denied any basic pleasures in life
So that I could paint pictures for you
That I was denied my rights as a living, breathing creature
So that I could give you a ride on my back
That I was denied love, companionship, and joy
So that I could entertain you
That I was denied friendship and my family
So that you could take a picture with me
And share it with your family and friends later
What would you do if you knew …
That this was my life
That I would die here, a shell of my former self
Alone, abused, and broken
… Would you still want to ride me?
Or go to my shows?
Or would you stand up for me and tell all that you know
Not to support these things
… Would you fight to set me free?
What will you do now that you know?
Written By: Rachel Lassman April 30, 2018
