Sonia, an African elephant in Karachi’s Safari Park, has passed away, according to a report by ARY News.
Park authorities revealed that Sonia had shown no signs of illness and was eating normally before her sudden death.
Staff members discovered her lifeless body early in the morning, prompting plans for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause.
This incident follows the earlier loss of Noor Jehan, a 17-year-old African elephant at Karachi Zoo. Noor Jehan succumbed to health complications after undergoing emergency surgery for a tumor in early April.
Despite efforts by international veterinarians and the animal welfare organization FOUR PAWS, she collapsed a few days later. Noor Jehan’s condition worsened further when she fell into a pond during an initial phase of recovery.
Background on Karachi’s Elephants
Four African elephants—Madhubala, Noor Jehan, Sonia, and Malika—were brought to Pakistan in 2009 after being captured in the wild at a young age. They were subsequently split between two locations in Karachi: Madhubala and Noor Jehan were placed in Karachi Zoo, while Sonia and Malika were sent to Safari Park.
In November 2021, the Sindh High Court requested an evaluation of the elephants’ welfare by FOUR PAWS. The assessment revealed that all four required better nutrition, enrichment, and medical care. Madhubala and Noor Jehan were found to have dental infections that necessitated surgical intervention.
Following Noor Jehan’s death, Madhubala became the last surviving African elephant in captivity at Karachi Zoo.
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Shame…that we can’t take care of animals..
Zoos and Safari parks are cruelty to animals. They should be allowed to live their natural life in their natural habitat. What if humans are kept in zoos. Animals have same right of freedom. People can watch them on TV and films now which facility was not there earlier so there were zoos. No need to torture animals in confinement for the pleasure of sadistic humans.