Not all heroes wear capes: Villagers are knitting sweaters for elephants to keep them warm

We’re squealing over here. Have you heard about the village in India that’s knitting sweaters for elephants? Yes – as in, sweaters for elephants. We were a little confused at first too. After all, baby elephant Lily seemed totally comfortable with the cold when she discovered snow angels. So who knew that low temperatures might be an issue? Plus, elephants always seem to be the greatest problem solvers. Remember the time a baby elephant got stuck in a watering hole and the herd got him out of it? So we kind of figured that these incredible creatures knew how to keep warm on their own. But the reality is SO MUCH BETTER…

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Yes, those women are knitting sweaters for elephants – while hanging out with the elephants who will wear the sweaters. It’s basically the greatest thing you’ll ever see.

Why elephants need sweaters

These elephants live at the Elephant Conservation and Care Center in Mathura, India, and many of them have past injuries that still need to heal. The Center’s founder, Kartick Satyanarayan, told the Times of India:

"It is important to keep our elephants protected from the bitter cold during this extreme winter, as they are weak and vulnerable having suffered so much abuse making them susceptible to ailments such as pneumonia. The cold also aggravates their arthritis which is a common issue that our rescued elephants have to deal with."

So with temperatures at the Center dropping below freezing at night, you can see why the sweaters became so important.

How we can help

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Much though we’d love to get in on the knitting action, there are better ways to help the Center’s elephants from afar. For example, you can sponsor an elephant through Wildlife SOS, the organization that rescued them and brought them to the Center. Or, if you’re up for an adventure, you can even volunteer with Wildlife SOS.