Foreign veterinarians save sick elephant at Pakistani zoo

KARACHI: Veterinarians said they performed a critical procedure to save a sick elephant at a zoo in southern Pakistan on Wednesday.

Noor Jehan, 17, was brought to Karachi with three other elephants more than a dozen years ago. Videos of her leaning her head against a tree and struggling to stand have caused alarm in Pakistan.

The elephant is experiencing a number of health issues, including arthritis.

Her joints are causing her enormous pain, according to Dr. Amir Khalil, who examined the elephant.

“Our biggest worry is to ensure that the elephant does not fall down,” he said. “If that happens, we fear she will never stand up again.” He rated her chances of survival as 50-50, saying she is visibly distressed and has had mobility issues for the last three weeks.

Khalil welcomed the zoo’s “strategic decision” to move her to a better place in the future.

Noor Jehan’s condition could have been the result of an accident, or a fight or collision between the elephants, said Khalil. “Was it negligence or an infection? We will know for sure exactly what the problem is.”

An eight-member team from the Austrian animal welfare organisation Four Paws did the complex procedure with the help of a crane and a fire truck.

“We nearly lost her when we gave her sedation, but luckily we had all the necessary preparations, and Noor Jehan stood up again,” said Dr Amir Khalil, who led the team.

The experts did an ultrasound and found a large hematoma in her abdomen, which is affecting her organs.

“The good news is that there is treatment for this, but it requires a lot of work and some luck in the coming days,” Khalil said.

“However, Noor Jehan is still young, and she deserves to live another 20 or 30 years.”

The team included veterinarians from Egypt, Bulgaria and an elephant husbandry expert from Germany. The governor of Sindh province, where Karachi is located, was at the zoo for the procedure, as were animal rights activists.

Khalil said authorities have agreed to relocate Noor Jehan to a better place with her fellow elephant, Madhubala, because her current conditions are unsuitable.

Pelvis broken

Noor Jehan’s pelvis was broken due to trauma and there is an abscess growing in that area. Khalil said there are many treatments available for her, including water massage and movement.

“We will move her to a bigger area where she can move around freely. This is what Noor Jehan needs.”

Zoo authorities contacted the Vienna-based Four Paws animal welfare group and described the elephant’s mobility problem. But they didn’t invite experts to visit until a few days ago when the issue went viral on social media.

The grandson of former Pakistani Prime Minister and President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto visited Karachi Zoo and expressed his concern, spurring authorities into action. The local government said it would invite international experts to treat Noor Jehan.

In August last year, a Four Paws team performed major surgery on Noor Jehan and Madhubala at Karachi Zoo on the invitation of the regional high court.

In 2020, an elephant named Kaavan was transferred from Islamabad to Cambodia, where he lives in an elephant sanctuary. Dubbed the “world’s loneliest elephant,” Kaavan had languished in Islamabad Zoo for 35 years, most of that time in chains, and he lost his partner in 2012.

Singer and actress Cher travelled to Pakistan to celebrate his departure from the country and his new life in southeast Asia.

Noor Jehan is named after a well-known Pakistani singer. Noor means light or brightness and jehan means world.