This is Raju, the elephant who wept with delight after being freed from his shackles after more than five decades? Many things have changed since his terrible tale went viral a few years ago, and a great deal has happened since then. To the relief of the gorgeous beast, the transformation was positive!

After his dramatic rescue in 2014, Raju was shown in the wonderful video below one year later. The elephant, who was rescued from the streets of Allahabad and spent a year at the Elephant Conservation and Care Center in Mathura, learned what it means to live a happy and tranquil existence. Perhaps more importantly, he learned to love and trust in others once again. This astonishing metamorphosis is another demonstration that elephants are tough, tenacious creatures with the ability to endure and overcome challenges that no one, regardless of species, should ever have to face.

With the release of Raju from captivity by a group of compassionate individuals, the elephant’s delight was difficult to explain in words. It was a heart-warming experience for everyone. It was “very emotional,” Pooja Binepal, of Wildlife SOS UK, told PressPeople about the experience. “The rescue squad was taken aback when they saw tears streaming down his cheeks throughout the operation. We knew in our hearts that he was aware that he was about to be liberated. Because elephants are not just magnificent animals, but they are also extremely intelligent creatures that have been shown to have sentiments of sadness, so we can only picture what he had gone through for half a century.”

Fortunately, Raju has a happy ending and will be able to enjoy his remaining years in peace. While this is true of some elephants in captivity, it is not true of the hundreds of other elephants that are currently being neglected and harmed by cruel individuals who are only concerned with earning a profit.

Here you can see Raju’s remarkable transformation: