Four Paws’ experts arrive to examine ailing elephant at zoo
KARACHI: A leading member of the Four Paws team said on Monday that the future of ailing elephant Noor Jehan was uncertain and she may die.
“We don’t know. But, it’s time that strategic decisions are made and the elephants are provided with a species-appropriate environment,” Dr Amir Khalil told Dawn after reaching Karachi from Istanbul on Monday.
Dr Khalil-led group of experts is to carry out a thorough medical examination of 17-year-old female elephant Noor Jehan at the Karachi Zoological Gardens. Two members of the team are due to arrive on Tuesday (today).
“Noor Jehan has a 50-50 per cent chance. Right now, it’s too early to say what went wrong. But, yes, her condition deteriorated very fast over the past few weeks, which is quite worrisome,” said Dr Khalil.
Sources said the poor animal had been suffering from an unknown illness for over three months now, rendering her weak and partially paralysed. The zoo staff had been claiming that she was being looked after well but her condition had only deteriorated.
Noor Jehan has 50pc survival chance, says Dr Amir Khalil
Public outcry in the media, they said, forced authorities concerned to seek intervention from Four Paws, the global animal welfare group, for the ailing elephant.
Dr Khalil said that the videos and pictures shared by the zoo staff earlier had showed that the animal was in severe pain and almost lost the ability to walk.
“An elephant weighs around three-and-a-half tonnes and spends 80 per cent of its time foraging. So, you can imagine how profound the impact of this disability has on the animal. Also, muscles of the elephant get atrophied due to disuse,” he said.
Seconding his opinion, Dr Marina Ivanova, also part of the Four Paws’ team, said that a detailed assessment of Noor Jehan was important to find out the reasons behind her illness and to offer any treatment.
“Making medical assessments of an elephant is not an easy job. We will start making the required arrangements on Tuesday. The animal needs to be standing sedation for the evaluation, which includes carrying out X-rays and ultrasound. For this purpose, we will try to arrange a fire engine that can hold and keep the animal standing during the procedure,” she explained.
Asked about zoo staff’s treatment of Noor Jehan so far, Dr Khalil said it tried its best with limited resources. “I think the zoo team did their best within their capacity. They don’t have sufficient medication, or equipment, which can help them assess an elephant’s condition and make a proper diagnosis.”
According to him, the zoo staff informed the team about the elephant’s condition at the end of January. Subsequently, they advised the zoo staff on certain drugs for management.
“Noor Jehan is a candle. She might burn herself and die. But, that doesn’t finish the story. Even if she dies, the fire she lit might help save other zoo elephants,” Dr Khalil said.
The team is on its fourth visit to the Karachi zoo. In August last year, it had performed major tusk surgeries on Noor Jehan and Madhubala, the other female elephant.
In 2021, the team submitted a report to the Sindh High Court, recommending a series of steps on elephants’ welfare, which was approached by a group of citizens worried over animal plight.
The team strongly suggested shifting the zoo elephants to Safari Park, also housing two female elephants, on grounds that the latter facility had reduced noise pollution and provided a better species-specific environment.
Both Noor Jehan and Madhubala, along with two other Safari elephants, were caught and separated from their mothers at a very young age in Tanzania in 2010 and brought to Karachi under a controversial agreement.
Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2023