Marina Ivanova, senior project manager at Four Paws, said on Friday that the elephant Noor Jehan’s chances of survival are not high.
Four Paws, the international animal welfare organization, has reported that 17-year-old elephant Noor Jehan is still weak and exhausted after falling into a pond inside her enclosure at the Karachi Zoo on Thursday.
Noor Jehan has been lying on a pile of sand against the sole tree inside her cage since the incident, looking weaker than ever. Her eyes are barely open and she is hardly moving.
Private vets Dr. Shehla Hayat and Dr. Otho Zulfiqar, who have volunteered for elephant care at the zoo, have not left Noor Jehan’s side since the accident. Ivanova said that Four Paws was constantly monitoring, supervising, and giving Noor Jehan the best possible care.
According to Ivanova, Noor Jehan was still weak and resting, but the team was planning to change her position with the help of a crane once she had more rest. She also mentioned that Noor Jehan’s chances of survival were not high, but added that the elephant “is a fighter, and we won’t give up on her.”
On the same day, Four Paws regretted that Noor Jehan’s condition had worsened but noted that emergency medical treatment had been provided. The Four Paws team was working with the local team via video call to find possible solutions to save her.
Earlier, Dr. Amir Khalil of Four Paws had stated that the elephant had been administered a lot of infusions so that she could rest. He said that the teams would try to lift the elephant and make her stand upright that day.
However, Mahera Omar, founder of the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society, who has been closely working with the team of vets on the ground, said that the elephant did not have any energy. She stated that after the elephant’s condition deteriorated, she was continuously administered drips, and a crane was on standby to help lift her up again.
Noor Jehan has been an intensive care patient, suffering from severe physical trauma for the past three months. The elephant’s muscle mass has shrunk, her spine appears disfigured, and her legs appear crooked. Last week, a group of vets from Four Paws visited Karachi to treat the elephant. During their short trip, they had deduced that the elephant had suffered an injury in the last few months leading to internal bleeding and a hematoma in her abdomen.
The team had treated the elephant with medicines and complex procedures but had warned before leaving that she needed intense aftercare. They had also given the zoo a set of directions to follow, but it appears that the zoo has failed to follow these measures.
Noor Jehan’s deteriorating health has raised concerns regarding the management of the Karachi Zoo, with netizens calling out the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, daughter of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari, said the Karachi Zoo should be closed down “because it is clearly beyond the capacity of KMC.”
Animal welfare charity Protect All Wildlife said that the Karachi Zoo did not deserve Noor Jehan. JFK Animal Rescue and Shelter tweeted that the zoo didn’t have adequate equipment. Free The Wild Director Anika Saleem said zoos were “evil torture chambers” and should immediately be closed. Animal welfare organization Free The Wild Global called for continued pressure on the zoo and KMC, saying that they needed to know that the world was watching.
TAGS: Marina Ivanova, Four Paws, animal welfare organization, Noor Jehan, Karachi Zoo, elephant care, veterinary medicine, emergency medical treatment, crane, intensive care, physical trauma, internal bleeding, hematoma, aftercare, Pakistan Animal Welfare Society, senior project manager, weak elephant, exhausted elephant, veterinary care, elephant rescue, animal health, endangered species, wildlife conservation, Karachi, animal rehabilitation
