Foreign vets treat Pakistani elephant Noor Jehan, say survival chances 'getting better'

KARACHI: Ailing Pakistani elephant Noor Jehan's chances of survival are "getting better", the head of a foreign team of veterinarians said on Wednesday, though adding that the animal suffers from "serious problems" and needed to be relocated to a larger space.

The team of vets from FOUR PAWS, a Vienna-based global animal welfare organization, visited the southern port city of Karachi on Tuesday to administer care to Noor Jehan at the zoo. Members of the team, who hail from Austria and Egypt, arrived in the South Asian country after videos of the elephant struggling to stand due to swelling in her joints, triggered widespread concerns for her safety.

Noor Jehan—named after the late iconic Pakistani singer—was brought to Pakistan in 2009 with Madhubala and two other elephants after they were caught in Tanzania by an animal trader. Noor Jehan and Madhubala were sent to Karachi Zoo while the other two, Malaika and Sonu, were shifted to the Karachi Safari Park.

After running tests and an initial examination on Tuesday, Dr. Amir Khalil, the Egyptian veterinarian heading the team that also includes animal experts, had said the elephant's chances of survival were 50-50. A day later, Dr. Khalil said his opinion has changed after his team performed ultrasound and endoscopy procedures on the animal.

“I see there is a roadmap, I think Noor Jehan is young. She deserves to live another 20 or 30 years, so I see her chances are getting better, she has a chance to survive and with hard work, it is possible," Dr. Khalil told Arab News.

However, he said the ultrasound and endoscopy procedures found Noor Jehan suffering from "serious problems."

"A part of her intestine is pressuring the inside bladder or the urethra and this is creating a side effect for the elephant in urination," he said, adding that Noor Jehan needed medical and physical treatment.

"This is not the best optimum place to keep elephants here, in the zoo in Karachi," he said, adding that the elephant needed "more space" to walk.

Dr. Marina Ivanova, a senior project manager at FOUR PAWS who had also been part of the team that examined Noor Jehan, said the elephant's diagnosis was carried out with the help of a crane as it could not stand in a stable condition.

“The ultrasound showed that most probably there was a trauma before because we saw a hematoma (a pool of clotted blood) that is actually bringing this kind of symptoms in movement,” she told Arab News, adding that the condition was dangerous and required care.

Dr. Ivanova said it was difficult to predict how the medical condition would turn out in future, adding that the team can only ensure proper care is given to the animal. She said Noor Jehan's treatment would require physical procedures such as massages under high water pressure, which was provided to the elephant with the help of a fire brigade at the zoo.

She said Noor Jehan's treatment would also require a special medication scheme, which both local and foreign veterinarians will prepare. “The best scheme for Noor Jahan's treatment [will be] based on medications that are available here, because we need to have easy access to medications to treat her,” she said.

Karachi Administrator Dr. Syed Saifur Rehman said the two distressed elephants could not be moved to Karachi Safari Park, as per an earlier recommendation from FOUR PAWS, due to logistical issues.

“There were some issues about logistics, but we have decided to shift these two, Madhubala and Noor Jehan, as Noor Jehan will be much better after these procedures," Rehman told Arab News.

"We will take care of these elephants in Safari park,” he said, adding that proper homes for animals, with ponds and other attractions, would be constructed.

Sindh Governor Muhammad Kamran Tessori, who remained in the zoo during the procedure, criticized the zoo's administrator for being absent.

“I have come to know about many issues here which need to be addressed," Tessori told reporters. "We are unable to do anything here. Food is scarce here, there is no maintenance and there are water issues."

He added that authorities would construct a hospital for animals and a laboratory will also be set up in the zoo, advising the administrator to solve budgetary issues.

The development takes place a couple of years after Kaavan, dubbed as the “world’s loneliest elephant,” was released from a ramshackle zoo in Pakistan's capital Islamabad. Animal rights activists had campaigned against the plight of the 35-year-old elephant who had lived alone since the death of his mate.

Kaavan was transferred to Cambodia in late 2020 in a blaze of publicity after his plight caught the attention of US superstar Cher, who helped raise funds for the jumbo relocation.