• Elephant’s collapse in water pond could have been avoided, say sources
• Mahera Omar says Noor Jehan showing no strength to stand on her feet
• Zoo staff trying to give elephant best care possible, claims administrator

KARACHI: As elephant Noor Jehan battled for life for the second consecutive day on Friday after her rescue from the pond in her enclosure, where she got trapped a day earlier, there was little alarm over the circumstances that forced her into the water body that proved to be a death trap for her.

Sources questioned why the officials concerned left the pond open in the enclosure, knowing well about Noor Jehan’s physical trauma she had been suffering from for months that had rendered her hind legs partially paralysed.

“While the zoo administration on account of its poor capacity and training was unaware about the nature of illness the 17-year-old elephant had, it was pretty much clear from her bad condition that an accident can happen anytime,” an official shared.

He expressed surprise that the zoo staff could never see the open threat in her enclosure. “This is strange that zoo officials never thought about closing this pond as it was a constant threat to the young elephant that we now know had been suffering from internal bleeding for over four months.”

The sources also asked as to why the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), responsible for running the zoo, had not instituted an inquiry yet into the incident which could have been easily prevented.

“This is tragic. Right now, Noor Jehan’s condition is so serious that it seems that all our recent efforts went into bringing her back to normal life with the help of Four Paws have gone into vain,” another official said, adding that if the KMC had made even half of the effort it’s making now, the incident could have been avoided.

The pond, the sources said, was the only source of water (often dirty as it wasn’t replaced regularly) freely available to the elephant. There was no clean water tub for her that she could drink from whenever she wanted.

“Elephants love to play in water, especially on summer days. I had seen Noor Jehan at times standing on the pond’s edge. It was sloppy and slippery and she might have fallen into the pond and got stuck as she couldn’t lift herself up,” Pakistan Animal Welfare Society (Paws) co-founder Mahera Omar said.

She has been working closely with Four Paws as well as with local experts for elephant welfare for several years.

The sources said the KMC had no plans to carry out an inquiry as it believed that there was no negligence involved in the incident and that the ailing elephant went into the pond herself and got stuck.

“The staff is looking after Noor Jehan round the clock. We are trying to give her the best care possible in the light of what’s being communicated to us by Four Paws,” KMC Administrator Dr Saif-ur-Rehman said when asked about holding an inquiry into the incident.

Dying hopes

At the zoo, there was no improvement in Noor Jehan’s condition. She was lying on the ground lifeless, as if she was waiting for her time. The spark in her eyes was no more.

“I am in doubt to be honest. But, miracles happen,” Dr Amir Khalil of Four Paws shared when asked about Noor Jehan’s survival chances.

The international team of experts — Dr Khalil in Egypt, Dr Frank Göritz and Prof Thomas Hildebrandt in South Africa, Dr Marina Ivanova in Austria and Mathias Otto in Germany — were in constant touch with local experts at the zoo, giving them tips on how to help save Noor Jehan.

“Her position was changed twice since yesterday with the help of a crane but she has shown no strength to stand on her feet,” Ms Omar said, adding that Noor Jehan was being given a lot of medication including multivitamins to boost her energy levels.

Last week, Noor Jehan was diagnosed with a large hematoma in her abdomen, causing edema in the reproductive organs and blocking the passage of urine and stool.

The Four Paws’ team had recommended medication and physical therapy for the elephant, whom they described as “an intensive care patient”.

The zoo staff was reportedly negligent towards implementing the instructions.

In August last year, Noor Jehan and Madhubala, the other female elephant, were operated for chronic tusk infection by Four Paws’ team.

In 2021, the team submitted a report to the Sindh High Court, recommending a series of steps on elephants’ welfare after it was approached by a group of citizens worried over animals’ plight.

The team strongly suggested shifting the zoo elephants to Safari Park on the grounds that it had comparatively lower noise pollution and 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 15th, 2023