• Three members of task force on captive animals point to official failure in taking timely notice of Sonia’s deteriorating health
• Mayor Wahab orders inquiry

KARACHI: The city lost another captive elephant on Sunday — the second death in the (once) family of four in less than two years — leaving citizens in shock and grief.

Her post-mortem is expected on Monday (today) with the arrival of an expert from the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore.

Sources said elephant Sonia was found dead in her enclosure at the Safari Park in the morning. The 18-year-old pachyderm, they said, had been treated for some parasitic infection this year in July.

Last month, the sources said, she was found visibly weak when she, along with her partner Malika, got reunited with zoo sister Madhubala after 15 years. At that time, she also had swelling between her hind legs.

The officials, however, dismissed concerns over her illness.

“We all are in shock as she was fine. It seems she had a (fatal) heart attack. The Four Paws looking after elephants’ welfare has been informed about the tragedy and a detailed post-mortem will be carried out soon,” Director Safari Park Amjad Zaidi told Dawn.

About Sonia’s state of health, he said: “Nothing came out serious in her recent ultrasound report as well. The procedure was conducted by Four Paws, an animal welfare organisation, over a week back. There was no negligence involved as we were providing her the best of care possible.”

Dr Amir Khalil of Four Paws, who is currently in Austria, also expressed his deep concern over the news. “This is very sad and bad news. I still need time to process it. She was doing well in the last days according to the report I received.”

He further stated that he had asked the Safari Park staff to ask Dr Ghulam Mustafa (of the University of Veterinary Sciences, Lahore) to lead the team for the post-mortem.

“He will be arriving from Lahore tomorrow (Monday) morning. We have also asked them to keep her body in ice and cover it so that other elephants couldn’t see her.”

Asked about Sonia’s recent lab test reports, he said that it pointed out protein deficiency. “But the post-mortem report will bring more clarity.”

Sources said Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab has ordered an inquiry to ascertain the facts.

‘Official failure’

Meanwhile, (non-government) members of the Task Force on wildlife in captivity/ zoo and Safari Park in a letter to the task force’s chairman have pointed to official failure in taking timely notice to Sonia’s deteriorating health.

“While this news may come as a shock to some, the members of the Task Force have been aware of the issues surrounding Sonia since Aug 6, 2024, when it was first brought to your attention. Despite our repeated requests, the minutes from our Task Force meeting on July 5 were not documented, nor was another meeting convened to address Sonia’s serious ailment.

“As a result, she did not receive the necessary treatment and has tragically passed away,” the letter by members Nadeem Khalid (president of the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan) and senior journalists Quatrina Hossain and Yusra Askari says.

“We feel that we have failed in our primary duty as a task force on captive animals and share the responsibility for this heartbreaking loss.”

The members have appealed for an emergency meeting of the Task Force to review “our shortcomings and to evaluate the effectiveness of having such a Task Force in place”.

Once a family of four

Earlier named Sonu, female elephant Sonia 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, was 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 formed after the death of zoo elephant Noor Jehan. The 17-year-old ailing African elephant underwent emergency treatment for health complications last year. She later collapsed in her enclosure and met a painful tragic death.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2024