KARACHI: As the ailing elephant, Noor Jehan, showed signs of improvement a day after she went through risky and complex medical procedures, fears and concerns over her survival remained a subject of discussion at the zoo on Thursday.

The 17-year-old female elephant can now walk, though with difficulty, while the swelling on her genital area and hind limbs has reduced.

Speaking to Dawn, members of Four Paws — the international animal welfare group currently treating the 17-year-old elephant — described the coming three weeks as crucial for her survival.

“Noor Jehan is much better today. Her head is up and so I think chances of her recovery are getting higher and higher,” Dr Aamir Khalil leading the team said.

While expressing his optimism, Dr Khalil was quick to warn that the elephant would die if the treatment protocol recommended by the vets’ team was not duly followed in the coming weeks.

Four Paws experts warn poor care may lead to her death

“Noor Jehan should be seen as an intensive care patient. She is young and can live for several years provided she gets the required medication and physical therapy,” he said.

According to him, apart from medication, what’s important is to rebuild her muscles for which she should be given a healthy diet, a lot of space to move around and an enclosure suiting her needs.

“Right now, Noor Jehan isn’t physically fit to be shifted to the Safari Park, which needs to be modified to make space for both Noor Jehan and Madhubala, the other female zoo elephant.

“Hence, we have recommended (to the zoo staff) measures on how the existing elephant enclosure could be modified and enriched to suit animal requirements.”

The Four Paws team, which includes Dr Marina Ivanova, Dr Frank Göritz, Prof Thomas Hildebrandt, Mathias Otto and Pia Einheimler, is on its fourth visit to the Karachi zoo. In August last year, the team performed major tusk surgeries on both zoo elephants.

In 2021, the team submitted a detailed 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.

‘Depression can kill the elephant’

Prof Thomas Hildebrandt, a senior vet associated with Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin, Germany, said Noor Jehan’s abnormal foot position and swelling on the genital area, creating a lot of pain for her, were caused by a large hematoma — a pool of mostly clotted blood, usually caused by a broken blood vessel damaged during surgery or an injury — in her pelvic area. “The hematoma might be the result of a fight between the two animals. This clotted blood slowly resolves, causing edema (swelling caused by too much fluid trapped in the body’s tissues) in the reproductive organs,” he explained.

Explaining why Noor Jehan and Madhubala are kept separated, Prof Hildebrandt said they were together in the morning but were later separated when they had a fight.

“We believe Noor Jehan’s disease has come from a fight. Elephants are known to have a hierarchical social structure and this is established by fights. Even the females fight a lot but the fights are not that severe as they fight in open lands. But, if you fight in a small place (like the zoo enclosure), this could be dangerous.”

According to him, there could be two real severe scenarios that can kill Noor Jehan, if she wasn’t given the recommended treatment protocol.

“The first one is compression of the rectum in the pelvic area that can be the beginning of a full occlusion of the rectum passage, causing her death. The second one is complete blockage of her urinary passage. In the latter case, an emergency surgery is required to release the urine to save the animal.”

About her prospects of recovery, Prof Hildebrandt said there should be a significant improvement within the next three weeks, if the recommended treatment protocol was followed.

Rebuilding of the muscle structure and full recovery, he pointed out, might take about six months.

“Elephants are intelligent animals and they know when they die and then they give up. Studies have shown that an elephant might not be so severely sick but it can die from depression and sadness. Today, there was a spark in Noor Jehan’s lifeless eyes. We must not let her lose that.”

Having done their job successfully, some members of the Four Paws’ team are flying back home tomorrow (Friday) while the rest will stay for another day.

Meanwhile, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has relieved Khalid Hashmi from his post of senior director, zoo, safari and recreation.

“The services of Mr Khalid Hashmi, BS-19 officer, presently working as Senior Director, Zoo, Safari and Recreation, KMC, is no longer required in Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. Hence, he is relieved from his post and directed to report to the Local Government and HTP Department, Government of Sindh,” says a notification signed by municipal commissioner Syed Shujaat Hussain.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2023