KARACHI: More than a year after zoo elephant Noor Jehan met a tragic death, her sister Sonia, housed in Safari Park, has developed a serious infection, it emerged on Wednesday.

Sources said the African elephant, aged between 17 and 19 years, was found to have swelling between her hind legs a few weeks back. No improvement could be seen despite treatment.

The affected area, they said, had become enlarged with time as had happened in Noor Jehan’s case.

The sources said the vets engaged by the Safari Park administration had tried several local remedies but nothing had worked so far.

Zoo director says treatment underway, claims the animal is doing ‘better now’

They believed that Sonia got the same potentially fatal infection that earlier infected Noor Jehan as the latter had also initially developed a swelling between her hind legs that could not be treated in time.

A request by Dawn for access to the elephants housed in the Safari Park was denied by the administration. Officials stated that “media access is not allowed till the ongoing work for the elephants’ sanctuary is completed”.

Safari Park Director Syed Amjad Hussain Zaidi conceded that Sonia had been ill for some time but quickly added that she was now recovering.

“Her infection has recently been detected for which she is getting treatment. She is better now,” he said.

About the swelling, Mr Zaidi said it was apparently developed due to lack of space available to the elephants for free movement.

“Right now, we have two-acre area that’s being extended to seven acres for the sanctuary on the recommendations of Four Paws’ experts that visit and guide us on the ongoing work,” he said, hoping that the sanctuary would be completed in a month or so.

Responding to Dawn’s queries, Katharina Braun of the FP International’s department for public relations said her colleagues had been informed about Sonia’s condition.

“Presently, they are waiting for test results — once they know more, they can advise a treatment for Sonia and decide on the next steps. Sonia is receiving some treatment for her general well-being already,” she said.

On the elephants’ sanctuary, Ms Braun said the work was going well but it’s difficult to estimate when exactly it would be finished. “Due to various holidays and festivities, construction was halted in-between for a bit, but everything is on track so far.”

Earlier named Sonu, the female elephant was believed to be a male by the Safari Park staff for 12 years prior to its examination in 2021 by Four Paws.

She, along with three other female elephants, were caught from the wild at a very young age in Tanzania and brought to Karachi in 2009 and later shifted to the zoo and the Safari Park. Their welfare had remained a subject of serious concern for a long time since the KMC lacked the interest and expertise to provide them a species-appropriate environment.

Last year, she was found to have a foot injury that seemed to have occurred due to the damaged concrete floor and persistent moist conditions in her enclosure.

The matter was raised last year in an assessment report by the provincial Task force on Zoo and Safari Park, which was set up following the death of 17-year-old Noor Jehan at the Karachi zoo.

Her post-mortem examination showed she had potentially fatal bacterial and parasitic infections.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2024