Daily Times

The last surviving female elephant at Karachi Zoological Garden, Madhubala, on Tuesday, shifted to Safari Park in a bid to provide a captivity-free natural enriching environment and an opportunity of reunion with siblings separated more than 15 years ago.

Global animal welfare organization FOUR PAWS, in collaboration with Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), carried out the first phase of the relocation operation at Karachi Zoo. For her departure, Madhubala voluntarily entered the crate and then team carried out the logistical mammoth task of lifting her up in the air with a crane and positioning her safely on a truck.

The Four Paws team, led by mission head Dr Amir Khalil, was comprised of Veterinarians Dr Marina Ivanova and Dr Frank Göritz; Animal Trainer Velizar Angelov, elephant expert Mathias Otto, Field Mission Coordinator Pia Einheimler and Nora Mihaylova, Team Coordinator.

Eyeing the end of zoo captivity of elephants in Pakistan as well as the socialization of Madhubala with Sonia and Malika- two of the four elephants brought to Pakistan in 2009 and kept in Safari Park, Dr Amir Khalil informed the media, “First, Madhubala will stay in her own temporary enclosure to adapt to her new surroundings and to make first encounters, for now only audible and olfactory ones. Soon we will try to socialize the three sisters.”

Four African elephants- named Madhubala, Noor Jehan, Sonia and Malika- were brought to Pakistan in 2009 after they were caught in the wild at a young age. Arriving in Karachi, they were separated; Sonia and Malika were sent to Safari Park Karachi and their sisters Madhubala and Noor Jehan were brought to Karachi Zoo.

The Madhubala has suffered from loneliness since the tragic death of Noor Jehan at Karachi Zoo over one and a half years ago and efforts were being made in the last months to secure Madhubala’s life-changing relocation for the betterment of her physical and mental health.

After more than 15 years of separation from her siblings Malika and Sonia, this day will go down as the reunion of the decade and an emotional rebirth in her moving life, Dr Khalil hoped and added, “We have to observe that whether Madhubala be able to recall the 15 years old memories and recognizes the separated sisters in a better-enriched climate with shadow and better facilities.”

Usually, elephants have a very good memory and hold social behaviour while she will also find her sisters there, who are social and I am very positive about the new phase of life of the elephant Dr. Frank Göritz, informed while updating the media persons present at Karachi Zoo to cover the event.

The team carried out a seven-hour-long surgery of Madhubala earlier and she was improving but she was in loneliness, he added. It is pertinent to mention that, Noor Jehan and Madhubala were, in a high court-initiated inquiry, found in need of proper diet, enrichment, and medical treatment besides requiring dental surgery due to infections caused by broken tusks.

Dr Göritz informed that Madhubala at the beginning of the operation was in stress but later she was soothed and now she was calm inside the crate.

As soon as the crate was secured, the convoy accompanied by police and Four Paws expert team set off.

The police forces facilitated the smooth journey of the convoy through the bustling streets of the 35-million-metropolis of Karachi that reached at its destination Safari Park marking that the era of zoo captivity of the elephant in Pakistan was over.