Elephant Sonia passes away at Karachi’s Safari Park, Mayor calls for investigation

KARACHI: Sonia, the African elephant at Karachi’s Safari Park, has tragically passed away. Park officials discovered her lifeless body early this morning, and a post-mortem will be carried out to determine the cause of her sudden demise.

According to park staff, Sonia had been in good health, eating normally, and showing no signs of distress prior to her unexpected death.

Sonia’s passing follows the death of Noor Jehan, another African elephant at Karachi Zoo, who passed away earlier this year after undergoing emergency treatment for a tumor. Noor Jehan’s death was preceded by a tragic incident where she fell into a pond while recovering from her health complications.

The four African elephants — Madhubala, Noor Jehan, Sonia, and Malika — were brought to Pakistan in 2009 after being captured from the wild at a young age. While Noor Jehan and Madhubala were housed at Karachi Zoo, Sonia and Malika were kept at Karachi Safari Park.

In November 2021, the Sindh High Court directed FOUR PAWS, an international animal welfare organization, to assess the welfare of the four elephants. The assessment revealed the elephants were in need of proper diet, medical care, and enrichment. Both Noor Jehan and Madhubala also required dental surgery due to infections caused by broken tusks.

With Noor Jehan’s death earlier this year, Madhubala became the last remaining captive African elephant at a zoo in Pakistan.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab expressed deep sorrow over Sonia’s passing and has called for a thorough investigation into the cause of death. “If negligence is found, strict action will be taken against the officials and staff involved,” the Mayor stated, assuring the public that a full post-mortem would be conducted and the findings made available.