Noor Jehan’s ordeal

After weeks of heart-wrenching stories about Noor Jehan, Karachi Zoo’s ill-treated, neglected and painfully distressed elephant, there is finally some good news for anyone with a smidgen of empathy in Pakistan. This week, a team of experts from global animal welfare organization Four Paws examined her to identify the cause of her medical condition and began her treatment. It has been discovered that Noor Jehan suffered an internal haematoma and had a damaged pelvic area which restricted her movement as well as impaired her kidney function. The team believes that this trauma may be partially responsible for the elephant’s condition, and that a programme of physical mobility training, medication, ultrasound checkups and other steps are needed to rehabilitate her fully. People who were following the case have said they now hope that Noor Jehan will get well soon. But her illness has exposed the incompetence of Karachi’s zoo authorities. Needless to say, this is hardly the first time Pakistan’s zoo authorities have made headlines – for all the wrong reasons. Before Noor Jehan, we had the case of Saheli at the Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad who reportedly died as a result of poor care in 2012. Years later, in 2021, her male companion Kaavan was moved to Cambodia in compliance with suggestions made by Four Paws and after a long international campaign.

These cases compel us to ask some important questions: what is happening in our country’s zoos? Why are we insisting to run zoos in a country that clearly lacks funds and workforce to keep the animals healthy. The now-terminated director of the Karachi zoo was suspended from his services in 2021 when a rare white lion died. It is rather surprising that he was allowed to resume his job without any accountability. How can we accept this level of carelessness and apathy? In May 2022, the former administrator of Karachi asked the zoo management to reach out to foreign experts for the training of zoo keepers and mahouts. The recent events imply that no such arrangements were made. The fact that we always have to rely on foreign vets shows that no efforts have been made to train our own people so that they can provide medical care to animals kept at the zoo.

Now that Noor Jehan is in good hands, all stakeholders should discuss one important point: should Pakistan continue to operate zoos? The Four Paws team has recommended that Noor Jehan be relocated to a species-appropriate home. But what about the other animals there? While there are countries that are able to provide a habitat suitable for the species on display and offer places of education for schoolchildren and students of all ages about animal care, Pakistan unfortunately has one of the worst records. Animals in our zoos suffer throughout their lives and then die a slow, painful death. Two years ago, Kaavan managed to get a second chance at life. We hope that Noor Jehan and her companions will also taste freedom and live a life without chains. Pakistan should consider passing legislation to either close down zoos or limit them to keep a few species for which we can provide adequate living arrangements.