Crippled Maniki's 6-day walk sparks outrage in Assam

DIBRUGARH: Elephants ambling down highways in eastern Assam isn't rare. But Maniki's march was unmissable. She was limping - a mahout on her back, her shattered foreleg folding with every step. The pain was visible. Someone recorded it. The truth exploded online.

Maniki, 48, was being forced to walk from Kakopathar in Tinsukia district to Dibrugarh for medical care - 95km away, and a slow, brutal slog. Six days of hobbling. Just 36km covered. Her legs gave in. Her story didn't.

The video sparked public outrage across Assam, pushing authorities into action Thursday. Forest personnel, veterinarians, activists, and district officials reached Makum, a midway town, where resident Krishna Majhi had offered her shelter Wednesday.

First aid was administered. A three-day rest ordered. A truck arranged to transport her to either Kaziranga national park or Guwahati for advanced treatment.

Her left foreleg was crushed in a logging accident two years ago in Arunachal Pradesh. It never healed. Her condition recently worsened, prompting the desperate - and disastrous - journey.

"The owner's disregard for guidelines is inexcusable," said a forest officer. "We've ensured proper transport and medical support. Legal action will follow investigations."

Maniki's owner Ruchi Chetia had ignored forest department directives to shift her by vehicle. Instead, she was made to limp through the heat and pain, bearing the weight of both injury and neglect.

Wildlife activists condemned the act as cruelty. "Making an injured elephant walk such a distance is cruelty. The owner must face consequences," said activist Niranta Gohain.

Maniki's limp became a rallying cry - for compassion, accountability, and an end to the quiet suffering of animals too large to ignore.