Elephant Madhubala is set to be reunited with her cousins at Karachi’s Safari Park sanctuary on Tuesday, after being separated from them for 15 years, including a year spent in solitary confinement.
Madhubala, one of just three captive elephants in Pakistan, was brought to the country in 2009 along with three other elephants from Tanzania. She and her companion, Noor Jehan, were separated from their herd and moved to the Karachi Zoo about 15 years ago. Noor Jehan passed away in April 2023, leaving Madhubala in isolation at the zoo ever since.
Animal rights organizations have campaigned for her to be moved to the Safari Park, citing the negative effects of her confinement on her health.
A team from FOUR PAWS International, an animal welfare organization based in Vienna, has arrived in Karachi to manage Madhubala’s transfer to the sanctuary.
Activists have long advocated for the welfare of animals in Pakistan, particularly elephants, urging their relocation to “species-appropriate” environments like the Safari Park.
FOUR PAWS has assured that the elephant enclosures at Safari Park will include water features for bathing, skin care, and temperature regulation.
