Silverio Omari
An African elephant recently reunited with her sister has passed away at Karachi Safari Park in southern Pakistan, the park announced on Sunday.
Syed Amjad Hussain Zaidi, the park’s director, confirmed to AFP that an autopsy will be carried out in the coming days.
Sonia, the elephant, had been in good health during her last check-up about 10 days ago. Zaidi also noted that the Austrian NGO Four Paws had visited her in late November. This issue has sparked concern in Pakistan, where animal mistreatment is unfortunately common.
Sonia had recently been reunited with her sister Madhubala, nearly 15 years after they were separated. In 2009, the two, along with their sisters Noor Jehan (who passed away in 2023) and Malika, were captured from the wild and brought to Pakistan. Noor Jehan and Madhubala were placed in Karachi Zoo, while Sonia and Malika went to Karachi Safari Park.
Following Noor Jehan’s death, Four Paws, which had previously criticized the zoo’s medical care, called for Madhubala’s transfer to Karachi Safari Park, which is believed to provide better living conditions for the elephants.
The three surviving sisters were finally reunited less than two weeks ago. “Today, after Sonia’s death, we are left with two elephants,” Zaidi said.
Dj Vnyash
