Treatment of ailing elephant Noor Jehan commences at Karachi Zoo today

A seven-member team of international experts of Four Paws reached the city on Tuesday for the treatment of Noor Jehan the elephant at the Karachi Zoo.

The team of vets held a meeting with Karachi Administrator Dr Syed Saifur Rahman and the zoo management. A Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) press statement said that a Four Paws delegation reached the zoo and discussed Noor Jehan’s treatment.

Rahman said that all arrangements have been made for her treatment, and thanked the team of experts for coming to Pakistan on the KMC’s invitation. He said that no effort would be spared in the care and treatment of the animals at the zoo.

Team head Dr Amir Khalil expressed his satisfaction with the arrangements, saying that he would start the elephant’s treatment on Wednesday (today), and if a minor operation is required, it would be done.

He said that according to the initial report, the elephant is suffering from joint pain, due to which one of her legs is affected and she is facing difficulty in walking. Animals can get this kind of disease, and it is a normal thing, he added.

Four Paws said they would help with the health assessment and treatment of Noor Jehan. Recent reports and images show her in serious physical distress. The 17-year-old African elephant will receive a thorough veterinary examination to determine her future care.

Four Paws also said that since 2021 they have been recommending that the elephants Noor Jehan and Madhubala be relocated from the zoo, which does not comply with international standards, to a species-appropriate place offering better living conditions, but no relevant measures have been taken.

The international vets will evaluate Noor Jehan’s health, and provide immediate treatment and pain relief to her. They will also work with the local authorities in finding a species-appropriate long-term solution for all the four African elephants in Karachi.

“It is clear from the footage we have seen that Noor Jehan is in serious pain and suffering. She has problems with her hind limbs that have left her limping, partially paralysed and in physical distress,” said Khalil.

Four Paws CEO Josef Pfabigan said Pakistan has taken great steps for animal welfare in the last three years by protecting the natural rights of animals under the constitution and banning elephant imports, as recommended by Four Paws.

However, he added, the lack of action to improve the lives of the elephants at the Karachi Zoo is a setback. “Four Paws has a commitment from the local zoo officials to collaborate further and find sustainable solutions for the elephants, and the prime minister recently announced plans to close the zoo.”

Pfabigan said they have already seen what strategic policy work, and good relations between animal welfare experts and local officials can achieve, hoping that even more can be achieved together. “By building a strong foundation for animal welfare, we can make a change for suffering animals, in Pakistan and worldwide.”

All four elephants in Karachi had been caught in the wild by a Pakistani animal trader at a very young age in Tanzania, and they had arrived in Pakistan in 2009. Noor Jehan and Madhubala had been moved to the Karachi Zoo, while Malika and Sonu had been taken to the Safari Park. According to official information, they are the last four African elephants in captivity in Pakistan.