KARACHI — Chandni, the young female camel who became a symbol of animal cruelty after being brutally attacked in Sukkur, is now fighting her way back to life. On Friday, a dedicated team of veterinary surgeons performed a two-hour surgery at the Comprehensive Disaster Response Services (CDRS) shelter home in Karachi, where she has been under treatment for weeks.
The 18-month-old camel, affectionately renamed Chandni, had suffered multiple jaw fractures and a crushed hind leg after being assaulted for wandering into a landlord’s field in Januji, Sukkur. The barbaric act left her battling life-threatening injuries and infection.
A medical board comprising experts from the livestock and fisheries department carried out the delicate procedure. Dr Shalla Hayat, Dr Muhammad Ali Ayaz, Dr Javed Khoso, Dr Zulfiqar Haider Otto and Dr Muhammad Ali Gopang led the surgical team, while disease investigations were supervised by Dr Abdul Manan Khokhar.
To save her life, doctors were forced to amputate her right hind leg, which had lost sensation and carried a high risk of spreading infection. Surgeons also repaired her multiple jaw injuries using advanced bone pinning techniques.
“Both surgeries were bloodless and painless, performed under local and dissociative anaesthesia. Chandni is now stable, conscious, and out of immediate danger,” the post-operation report confirmed.
The medical team expects Chandni to start swallowing food within two days and eating solid food within three to five weeks. Complete recovery is anticipated within two months, after which experts will fit her with a prosthetic limb — following the model of Cammie, another camel who survived a similar attack in Sanghar earlier this year.
Sindh’s Chief Minister has directed officials to ensure Chandni receives the best care and that specialists in artificial limbs are consulted. A separate intensive care unit has been created at the shelter to support her recovery.
Meanwhile, police have arrested two suspects linked to the brutal attack. According to the FIR, the camel was struck with an axe and then dragged with a tractor when she returned from a pond after drinking water. Despite desperate pleas from her owner, the attackers claimed the animal had “damaged their crops.”
Chandni’s survival has stirred public outrage and sympathy, renewing calls for stronger laws against animal cruelty in Pakistan. From tragedy to resilience, her story now carries a glimmer of hope — that compassion and care can triumph over brutality.