It was the last Tuesday of November and there was an air of anticipation at Karachi’s sprawling Safari Park. Outside the elephant enclosure, a curious crowd of reporters and activists stood with cell phones and cameras out, exchanging whispers. Madhubala, the lone elephant left at Karachi Zoo, had just been shifted to these bigger premises and was going to be making her first public appearance here.

On the other side of the fence, as the doors opened and the way was cleared, in walked Madhubala. Oblivious to the fanfare around her, she immediately latched on to a carefully placed tyre inside her new night room.

Madhubala, which literally means ‘sweet girl’, is named after the iconic Indian actress, just like her sister Noor Jehan — with whom she shared a pen at the zoo — was named after Pakistan’s melody queen. Until Madhubala’s relocation, the 17-year-old African elephant had been living in solitary confinement at the Karachi Zoo for over a year, since the death of Noor Jehan.

The tyre is all she brought along with her from the zoo, her old home — after all, it was her best friend.

Until her reunion with her long-separated sisters Malika and Sonia, lonely Madhubala’s best friend at Karachi Zoo had become a rubber tyre…

Madhubala has a very special relationship with her tyre. The bond was forged after the death of her long-time companion and sister Noor Jehan. Witnessing up close her sibling’s demise, and the events leading to it, had left Madhubala depressed, traumatised and, most concerningly, lonely.

AN ANTIDOTE TO GRIEF

Having spent a lot of time with the elephants, Mahera Omar, filmmaker and co-founder of the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), remembers all too clearly the circumstances around the last days of Noor Jehan and the effects it had on her sibling. Noor Jehan had fallen into a cement pond and could not get back up. Animal activists and caregivers had turned up the zoo to help in the recovery efforts as Noor Jehan’s situation became public knowledge.

“A thunderous clank of iron made us turn our heads towards Madhubala,” recalls Omar. She had crashed with all her might into the gate holding her inside her night cage at Karachi Zoo. “We knew Madhubala was angry and upset,” she tells Eos.

What followed over the next 10 days was agonising for the two elephants as well as animal lovers. “As Noor Jehan lay helpless, we watched Madhubala get increasingly restless, disturbed by the swarms of people that had descended on to the spectacle of animal suffering, the noise of the crane, the altercations between the zoo management and animal lovers,” she recalls.

In the long days of grief and loneliness that followed Noor Jehan’s passing, the tyre was where Madhubala found emotional support. “She would often be standing next to her sister’s grave, withdrawn and quiet, the tyre nearby,” Omar continues.

Soon, the tyre became her best friend. Both of them were inseparable. It was with her everywhere she went: the night room, the enclosure and even the storage area. She showed it off to visitors as well.

The tyre would be ever-present, just within her reach, even when she was in the presence of animal lovers and the team from Four Paws, a Vienna-based global animal welfare organisation. Four Paws had previously facilitated the relocation of Kaavan, dubbed as the world’s loneliest elephant, from a zoo in Islamabad to sanctuary in Cambodia. And it was engaged to help with Madhubala’s rehabilitation as well.

This is why, when the talks of Madhubala’s relocation to Safari Park finally materialised, Four Paws decided to bring the tyre with her to the new home.

“The decision was taken to provide her with comfort in the new environment and a sense of security,” Pia Einheimler, the Four Paws field mission coordinator tells Eos. “The first thing Madhubala did while entering her new enclosure at the Safari Park was to turn around, grab the tyre and place it next to her… it really functions as a comforting toy,” she points out.

Even when out exploring her new home, she took the tyre along with her as an all-time companion. Little did Madhubala know that what she was soon going to find would be far more precious than her tyre. A heartwarming interaction was waiting for her, just a few footsteps from her night room.

A FAMILY REUNION

When she was still a calf, back in 2009, Madhubala and her three sisters were cruelly captured by poachers in Tanzania. Their mother was shot dead in front of their eyes. The baby elephants, on the other hand, were packed up and found their way to Pakistan.

Two of them — Madhubala and Noor Jehan — came to the zoo, while Malika and Sonia were sent to Safari Park. More than a decade later, the siblings were reuniting, courtesy of Noor Jehan’s death. Madhubala, however, was unaware of this. Itwas a surprise that was revealed to her a day after the relocation to the Safari Park.

Einheimler described the sisters’ reunion as an emotional moment for everyone who witnessed it.

Madhubala was out exploring the outdoor enclosure of her new home, while Malika and Sonia stood in their night room, which was separated by a fence. But they could see each other. Her sisters were showing a lot of interest in their sibling but Madhubala was busy playing with her tyre. When the last few obstructions between the siblings were finally removed, Sonia, the braver one, crossed over to greet Madhubala, with Malika in tow.

Before Madhubala arrived at Safari Park, Malika was the matriarch — the leader among the two resident elephants. According to research, when confronted with a new elephant, matriarchs often become defensive towards them, to protect themselves and their family members. None of that unfolded at the Safari Park though, as Malika and Sonia immediately recognised Madhubala’s shining eyes.

“The three sisters gently touched each other with their trunks, exploring new smells and moving together with a sense of calm and friendliness. We could feel they remembered each other,” says Einheimler.

And then something beautiful happened. Madhubala placed her beloved tyre in front of Malika, a present for her siblings. It was an invitation for them to share her valuable tyre with them. Moments later, Malika turned her back to Madhubala, an offer to her sibling to become the new matriarch of the now three-member herd.

Following the exchange, the sisters made their way to a nearby pond and had their first drink together. The tyre, on the other hand, stayed back inside Madhubala’s night room — a relic of the past.

“The tyre is still very important for Madhubala, but it is losing its emotional attachment bit by bit,” Einheimler continues. “Now, Madhubala has transformed into a completely different elephant. She is kind, friendly and playful,” she adds.

Madhubala’s transformation is visible, as much from her demeanour and interactions as it is from the glint in her eyes, says Einheimler. Perhaps, it also shows the appreciation a pachyderm has for being treated in a more humane manner.

The writer is a member of staff. X: @NMuzhira

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 22nd, 2024