Elephant Noor Jehan's autopsy underway

Noor Jahan had passed away at the Karachi Zoological Gardens yesterday

KARACHI (Dunya News) - The post-mortem examination of African elephant Noor Jehan, who passed away at the Karachi Zoo on Saturday, is continuing rightnow. 

The Edhi Foundation, a welfare organisation in Karachi, had earlier provided medical equipment to the zoo management for the post-mortem examination of Noor Jehan.

The Fourpass team leader, Dr. Aamir Khalili, is conducting the autopsy. Noor Jahan passed away at the Karachi Zoological Gardens yesterday.

The development was confirmed by Karachi Administrator Saifur Rehman, stating that all-out efforts were made to save the life of the ailing elephant. He said international veterinary doctors had also visited Pakistan for her treatment.

Noor Jehan’s health further deteriorated earlier this month after she fell into a pond inside her enclosure. The zoo management said they used a crane, ropes, and belts to lift her out of the water.

For the past three months, Noor Jehan was experiencing severe physical trauma and treated in intensive care. The elephant's muscle mass was decreased. Her legs seemed twisted, and her spine was warped.

During a short visit to Karachi, the international animal welfare organization Four Paws treated the elephant and discovered that she had suffered an injury in recent months, resulting in internal bleeding and a hematoma in her abdomen.

Four Paws had instructed the Karachi Zoo to provide intensive care to Noor Jehan, which was not properly implemented.

Social media users have expressed sorrow over the death of the beloved animal, with some lashing out at the officials for inadequate care to the elephant. 

Reuters reported that Noor Jehan, an elephant in Pakistan's Karachi Zoo whose illness revived criticisms of the nation's zoos, died on Saturday despite frantic efforts to treat her, officials said.

The critically ill 17-year-old elephant had fallen into a pond this month and been unable to get up without help.

"After fighting for 9 days, she succumbed to her critical condition. She spent too long lying on the ground – a life-threatening situation for elephants," Four Paws, an international animal welfare organisation that had been advising local and international veterinarians on her treatment, said in a statement.

Four Paws veterinarian Amir Khalil said it was "heartbreaking that she had to die at only 17 years old, when she could have had many more years". Noor Jehan was an African elephant, whose average lifespan is 60 to 70 years.

In recent years two lions died of asphyxiation in Pakistan after handlers tried to get them out of their den using smoke, and a number of white tiger cubs have died.

The director of the Karachi Zoo was removed this month over complaints of negligence. A court in 2020 ordered the closure of the Islamabad Zoo, where the elephant Kaavan was kept.

The American celebrity Cher, after years of seeking to free Kaavan, came to Pakistan to see him off on his move to a Cambodian sanctuary.

Khalil said Karachi Zoo did not meet international standards and urged that Madhubala, the healthy elephant remaining at the zoo, be relocated to a more species-appropriate place to give her a chance at a better life.

Four Paws said Madhubala was mourning the loss of her longtime companion.

The widespread criticism faced by authorities in the wake of Noor Jehan's condition - with images of her helplessly lying on her side - has led to reports in the local media that Karachi Zoo may be shut down permanently.

Four Paws said it welcomed this proposal, adding that it could be a turning point for the welfare of wild animals in captivity in Pakistan.

-- Additional input from Reuters