Paul McCartney, Pamela Anderson win battle to free elephant in Maharashtra

Sir Paul McCartney and Pamela Anderson are celebrating after their campaign to save an Indian elephant from a life of misery ended in triumph.

The former 'Baywatch' star and the Beatles singer publicly backed a drive by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to rescue Sunder, an elephant who suffered injuries after being mistreated by his handler and kept chained in the dark for seven years at the Jyotiba Temple in Maharashtra, the Daily Express reported.

Both stars sent letters to Indian officials urging them to step in and end the scandal.

"I have seen photographs of young Sunder, the elephant kept alone in a shed at a temple and put in chains with spikes," McCartney had written.

"Years of his life have been ruined by keeping him and abusing him in this way.

"Enough is enough. Get Sunder out," he wrote.

On Thursday, it emerged that Sunder is to be moved from the temple to a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre near Bangalore after an intervention by the country's Forest Minister Dr. Patangrao Shripatrao Kadam.

A PETA spokesman said, "The difference between Sunder's cruel life in chains at the temple and his new journey to freedom, love and care is like night and day... We are grateful to the Forest Minister for agreeing to liberate Sunder and let him enjoy things that are natural and important to him for the first time in his life."

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