ISLAMABAD: Following the tragic death of African elephant Noor Jehan in the Karachi Zoo, Sri Lanka has announced that it will gift two female elephants to Pakistan.
Honorary Consul General of Sri Lanka in Pakistan, Yasin Joyia, confirmed the news on Sunday.
Joyia stated that one of the elephants will be sent to Karachi Zoo and the other to Lahore. He also expressed grief over Noor Jehan’s demise, which was reportedly due to prolonged health issues exacerbated by a lack of care at the zoo.
Furthermore, Joyia highlighted that Lahore’s zoo has been without an elephant since the death of Suzi in May 2017.
Elephants to arrive soon
The names of the two elephants will be chosen by the Sri Lankan government and their arrival will be announced in the coming days.
The death of Noor Jehan sparked widespread outrage from animal rights activists in Pakistan and abroad, who criticized the zoo’s administration for criminal negligence and a lack of concern for animal rights. Many have called for the zoo to be shut down.
The gift of two elephants from Sri Lanka is a step towards improving the conditions of captive animals in Pakistan’s zoos. The move has been welcomed by animal rights activists who hope that the new elephants will receive better care and treatment.
It remains to be seen how the government and zoo authorities will respond to the arrival of the new elephants and whether they will take steps to improve the welfare of all animals in captivity.
