KARACHI: Karachi’s Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Sunday ordered an investigation into the unexpected death of elephant Sonia at Safari Park
“In case negligence is found, strict action will be taken against the involved officials and staff,” said the Mayor while expressing sorrow over the unexpected demise of elephant Sonia.
The post-mortem will be carried out under all aspects to examine the cause of death, he said.
All postmortem findings related to Sonia’s death would be open to the public and media, the Karachi Mayor assured.
Earlier in the day, Sonia, the African elephant at Karachi’s famous Safari Park, breathed her last.
As per the officials of the park, Sonia had been healthy and had not stopped eating until her death.
The administration informed that Sonia’s body was found lifeless by early morning. An autopsy would be performed to determine the cause of Sonia’s death.
Earlier this year, the 17-year-old African elephant Noor Jehan breathed her last at the Karachi Zoo.
Noor Jehan was given emergency treatment on April 5, for multiple tumors in Karachi but succumbed a few days later.
History of the Karachi elephants
The four African elephants, Madhubala, Noor Jehan, Sonia, and Malika, came to Pakistan in 2009. They were caught in the wild while they were still very young and were brought to Karachi where they were separated.
Madhubala and Noor Jehan went to the Karachi Zoo while their sisters, Sonia and Malika, were sent to the Karachi Safari Park.
In November 2021, the Sindh High Court in Pakistan directed four PAWS to evaluate the conditions of the four elephants. All four were found in dire need of proper diets, enrichment, and medical care.
Noor Jehan and Madhubala further required dental surgeries due to infections from broken tusks. Madhubala became the last captive African elephant in a Pakistani zoo after Noor Jehan’s demise.
