In another sad development at Karachi’s Safari Park, Sonia, an African elephant, unexpectedly passed away. Park officials reported that Sonia was in good health and had been eating normally until her sudden death.
The park staff found Sonia’s lifeless body early in the morning, and they plan to perform a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of her death.
Previously, another African elephant, 17-year-old Noor Jehan, died at Karachi Zoo after a battle with a tumour. Despite undergoing emergency treatment on April 5 and receiving care from international experts and a Four Paws team, Noor Jehan succumbed just days later. She experienced a fall into a pond at Karachi Zoo during an initial recovery from severe health issues.
History of Karachi’s Elephants
The four African elephants—Madhubala, Noor Jehan, Sonia, and Malika—were captured in the wild at a young age and brought to Pakistan in 2009. Upon their arrival, the elephants were split between two locations: Madhubala and Noor Jehan were placed in Karachi Zoo, while their sisters, Sonia and Malika, went to Karachi Safari Park.
Read: Elephant Madhubala to be Relocated to Karachi Safari Park by Four Paws
In November 2021, the Sindh High Court instructed FOUR PAWS to evaluate the well-being of these four elephants. The assessment revealed that all required proper diet, enrichment, and medical care. Noor Jehan and Madhubala also needed dental surgery for infections from broken tusks. Following Noor Jehan’s death, Madhubala became Pakistan’s last captive African elephant in a zoo.
