Chained

Malika, an elephant at the Safari Park, Karachi, is suffering from a painful foot disease. The elephant remains locked up in a narrow, cemented cell for 20 hours each day. Out of these 20 hours, the elephant remains chained for 15 hours. Unless immediate measures are taken, the disease will spread leading to the elephant’s death or perhaps a painful deportation to another country – just like Kaavan’s. The elephant is the largest living mammal. Its feet carry its bodyweight of around eight tonnes. When kept in captivity, an elephant suffers excessively from various feet ailments which often turn out to be fatal. Elephants kept in enclosures with hard surfaces covered in urine and faeces can cause infections around the foot pad. It is estimated that in 50 percent cases, the reason for the death of a captive elephant is these afflictions. There is an immediate need to stop keeping the two elephants at the Safari Park in chains. Also, the park must be converted into an animal-friendly sanctuary. There is no reason why a world-class sanctuary cannot be developed at the entire 148-acre area earmarked for the park.

The other two elephants imprisoned in the Karachi zoo should also be shifted to the Safari Park. Once the sanctuary is developed, animals which are currently confined to small enclosures can also be released in a sanctuary that replicates the natural habitat of these animals.

Naeem Sadiq

Karachi