Raju The Elephant Finally Gain Freedom After 50 Years Of Abuse Cried Tears

For 50 years, Raju the elephant was abused, held shackled in spiked chains and forced to live off scraps from passing tourists. All that changed when he was rescued last weekend by wildlife conservationists who said the animal cried when he was finally set free.

Operation Raju was difficult. During the mission, his captors tried to fight off the rescuers, who eventually had to gain the elephant's trust by offering it fruit.

Volunteers say they witnessed tears streaming down Raju's face after he was freed from his chains. Some animal experts believe elephants are capable of crying since they appear to experience emotions similar to those of humans.

Many commenters on the YouTube video are sympathetic toward the animal.  One person wrote, "When are people going to realize that animals feel just as we do, if not more. So heartbreaking."