Free the Karachi Zoo Elephants from 13 Years of Neglect in the “House of Horrors”
The Issue
The photo above shows Noor Jahan, a once wild elephant, on her the final day in Pakistan’s Karachi Zoo, an establishment so inhumane it is often called the “House of Horrors” by locals.
Due to extreme neglect, Noor Jahan suffered from ailments not usually seen in a young elephant: her spine was crooked, her joints swollen, and she suffered from internal bleeding from untreated injuries. Noor Jahan’s pain was so immense, she could barely move.
Soon after this photo was taken Noor Jahan died, leaving behind her three beloved elephant sisters: Sonu, Malika, and Madhubala, all of whom are in danger of suffering the same fate.
In 2009, these elephants were stolen as babies from their herd in the Tanzanian wilderness. Less than 48 hours after their traumatic capture, the little elephants were put on display in the “House of Horrors”, where they remain, 13 years later. With no elephant experts in Pakistan, these animals suffer from poor health and languish in small enclosures.
Elephants in the wild live up to 80 years but, due to severe neglect, Noor Jahan lost her life at just 17 years of age. Her siblings may soon follow her if allowed to remain in Pakistan. Madhubula has already been diagnosed with severe dental and tusk disease. Malika and Sonu, both suffer from foot disease, their ankles cracked and swollen from being chained up to 15 hours a day. The Karachi elephants are also often seen rocking and circling their heads. These abnormal movements are signs of zoochosis, a behavioral condition brought on by extreme depression, a byproduct of 13 years of neglect.
We need your help in asking the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the government administration in charge of Karachi Zoo, to allow relocation of the remaining three elephants, these animals need to return to nature in an elephant sanctuary before it is too late.
Time is of the essence. Noor Jahan was never given a chance to see the wild again: she succumbed to her suffering. If Malika, Sonu, and Madhubala are not freed, it is only a matter of time before they will too.
#FreeTheThree
#JusticeForNoorJahan
4,304
The Issue
The photo above shows Noor Jahan, a once wild elephant, on her the final day in Pakistan’s Karachi Zoo, an establishment so inhumane it is often called the “House of Horrors” by locals.
Due to extreme neglect, Noor Jahan suffered from ailments not usually seen in a young elephant: her spine was crooked, her joints swollen, and she suffered from internal bleeding from untreated injuries. Noor Jahan’s pain was so immense, she could barely move.
Soon after this photo was taken Noor Jahan died, leaving behind her three beloved elephant sisters: Sonu, Malika, and Madhubala, all of whom are in danger of suffering the same fate.
In 2009, these elephants were stolen as babies from their herd in the Tanzanian wilderness. Less than 48 hours after their traumatic capture, the little elephants were put on display in the “House of Horrors”, where they remain, 13 years later. With no elephant experts in Pakistan, these animals suffer from poor health and languish in small enclosures.
Elephants in the wild live up to 80 years but, due to severe neglect, Noor Jahan lost her life at just 17 years of age. Her siblings may soon follow her if allowed to remain in Pakistan. Madhubula has already been diagnosed with severe dental and tusk disease. Malika and Sonu, both suffer from foot disease, their ankles cracked and swollen from being chained up to 15 hours a day. The Karachi elephants are also often seen rocking and circling their heads. These abnormal movements are signs of zoochosis, a behavioral condition brought on by extreme depression, a byproduct of 13 years of neglect.
We need your help in asking the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the government administration in charge of Karachi Zoo, to allow relocation of the remaining three elephants, these animals need to return to nature in an elephant sanctuary before it is too late.
Time is of the essence. Noor Jahan was never given a chance to see the wild again: she succumbed to her suffering. If Malika, Sonu, and Madhubala are not freed, it is only a matter of time before they will too.
#FreeTheThree
#JusticeForNoorJahan
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Petition created on April 24, 2023