Raju the elephant cried when he was freed from spiked shackles after 50 years of suffering, but could soon be forced back into a life of misery.

He was rescued during an operation in July this year so he could join five female elephants at Wildlife SOS's Elephant Conservation and Care Centre in India.

Now, the tortured elephant's former owners are trying to reclaim their "rightful property" as part of legal proceedings.

Charity Wildlife SOS founder Kartick Satyanarayan led the rescue operation to save Raju, who was tied up as a tourist attraction, and said the legal bid was "devastating", reported the Daily Mail.

View photos Raju has had up to 27 owners. Picture: www.wildlifesos.org More

"After all he's been through we are still having to fight for Raju's freedom. His owner is arguing that Raju is his property, which must be returned to him for his use," he said.

"We are hoping the courts will see sense that this can never happen as Raju was treated with such appalling cruelty and torture in his hands in the first place and the man claiming ownership of Raju has no legal grounds to claim him back under Indian law."





With the prospect of Raju being forced back into a life of pain, Mr Satyanarayan said a legal fund was being set up to fight battles including Raju's and other like him, as this is not the firs time a previous owner has tried to reclaim a rescued elephant.

A court hearing is scheduled on September 4 and if needed, Mr Satyanarayan said the wildlife organisation is prepared to take the fight for Raju to the Supreme Court of India.

View photos The animal was chained for 50 years. Picture: www.wildlifesos.org More

"We will argue that he (the elephant's former owner) broke wildlife protection laws and animal cruelty laws through his treatment of Raju, and that he was being kept illegally after being trafficked from handler to handler from being poached as a calf," he said.

"We want this case to set a precedent across India to change the way elephants are treated and abusers are punished and justice prevails for these magnificent creatures that suffer in silence."

Raju's life of misery started after he was poached as a calf from the wild and it is believed he has had up to 27 owners after being sold and resold numerous times.

The shackles he was cut from were 50 years old.

Morning news break – September 01