KARACHI, Apr 22 : The lingering misery of Karachi Zoo elephant Noor Jehan came to a tragic end as she succumbed to her ailments on Saturday, despite treatment by foreign veterinarians.
According to Administrator Karachi Dr Syed Saifur Rahman, the elephant was suffering from fever for the past several days, and all efforts were made to save her.
Rahman said that Noor Jehan was treated under the supervision of world-class experts, with the international animal welfare organization Four Paws also coming to Karachi for her treatment.
Talking to media personnel, Karachi Zoo Director Kanwar Ayub said the elephant passed away at 11:15 am today after suffering ill health since November 2022.
He furthered that the Four Paws team were en route to Karachi. They will perform a post-mortem examination on the 17-year-old elephant’s body.
A video of Noor Jehan showing her limping and struggling to stand apparently due to weakness went viral on social and mainstream media last week, sparking public outcry.
Calls to shut down the zoo owing to its incapacity to care for the wild animals caged there have since doubled, with Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman and Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari also joining in.
“Karachi Zoo should be shut down because it is clearly beyond the capacity of KMC,” Bakhtawar said in a tweet, referring to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, which runs the zoological garden.
Earlier, Rahman had formed a nine-member committee to take care of the ailing elephant. Members of the committee nominated by KMC provided suggestions and recommendations to the administrator on the well-being and welfare of the elephant, including treatment and the provision of a natural environment for practical measures.
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