Sanctuary for Madhubala

The authorities at Karachi Zoo are facing an elephantine problem, but far more than the zoo or the KMC or the international organization Four Paws, it is Madhubala, the surviving elephant at Karachi Zoo, who is suffering. Madhubala’s longtime companion Noor Jehan died some months ago after a long illness, at least in part due to poor veterinary care and possible ill-?treatment by her keepers. The vet for Four Paws also said that Noor Jehan suffered trypanosomiasis, a parasitic infection, and that Madhubala suffered the same condition but fortunately received early treatment for this.

However, it is not simply the physical health of the elephant which is of concern. Madhubala is believed to suffer loneliness and depression after losing her longtime companion. A teenager, she is extremely young and needs stimulation and companionship. According to reports, Madhubala has been hitting her head against the iron bars of her cage and engaging in other abnormal behaviour. The KMC with Karachi Zoo is keen to build a sanctuary for elephants. But even this cannot be an equivalent of their natural habitat. While Four Paws has said it is willing to manage the facility, authorities in Karachi are unwilling to give control. At the same time we know that they are not capable of looking after elephants who do not respond well to zoo-like conditions. Noor Jehan was not the only elephant to die in Pakistan. Before her, Saheli, an elephant at the Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad had also died apparently as a result of neglect. Her companion Kaavan, who had been in a poor mental state for many years, was moved to a sanctuary in Cambodia under international pressure and is apparently doing well. It is quite obvious from the stories of other animals and other wildlife deaths we have heard of at zoos in Pakistan that Pakistan does not have facilities that are suitable for the welfare and safekeeping of animals entrusted to their care. In some good news, media reports have said that the Karachi mayor has given a go-ahead to Four Paws to relocate ailing elephant Madhubala to a new sanctuary,

In today’s age, a zoo should exist only when it is required to try and breed endangered species, as has happened in the case of pandas and a few other species, or as purely educational facilities housing animals which are suitable for being kept in a small space where they can live natural lives. Given that Pakistani zoos, as well as the visitors who go to watch the animals on display, have little respect for the rights and the dignity of species other than humans, it is wise not to bring more animals into the country. Pakistani zoos need to adapt and change if they are to house any animals at all. Since this does not seem likely in the very short term, it may be wise to close down all geological gardens and so-called safari parks until we are in a position where these facilities can truly act as centers for the care of wild animals and treat them as they would if they were in their natural habitats. Right at this time, it does not seem likely that this can happen. Madhubala has the right to live a normal, healthy, happy life. We cannot offer this to her.