Beloved African elephant Sonia passes away unexpectedly at Safari Park

KARACHI: One of the beloved elephants, Sonia, died suddenly last night at Karachi Safari Park, the part’s Director Amjad Zaidi confirmed on Sunday morning.

Female elephants, Sonia and Malika, had been at the Safari Park since 2009. Recently, another female elephant Madhubala had been recently transferred from the Karachi Zoo to the Safari Park.

Sonia was one of the four African elephants that came to Pakistan from Tanzania in 2009.

The cause of her death will be determined after the post-mortem. Before Sonia, the female elephant named Noor Jahan had died on April 22 last year. Noor Jahan used to live at the Karachi Zoo, and after her death, her companion Madhubala had become sick, which is why she was brought to the Safari Park to live with Sonia and Malika.

Speaking to media, Director Zaidi said that Madhubala, Malika and Sonia were living happily together at the Safari Park.

Initially, the doctor said the cause of death was heart failure, the director said, adding the real facts of Sonia’s death will come out after the postmortem.

Sonia was nearly 18 years old, was healthy and did not have any disease. In July this year, Sonia was reported to have contracted an infection, but later it was reported that she had recovered fully and was in complete health until this unexpected loss.

Madhubala leaves for Safari Park

The director said that no compromise is made on the diet of elephants either. “Sonia had eaten sugarcane and other fruits at 10 PM last night,” he said.

The doctor and other staff at the Safari Park have been active since morning. Madhubala and Malika are also showing signs of depression after Sonia’s death. “Both elephants refused to come out of the cage,” the director said.

INVESTIGATION ORDERED

Meanwhile, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab has ordered an investigation into the sudden death of the elephant Sonia in the Safari Park. In a statement on Sunday, he said, “[It is] sad to hear about the death of elephant Sonia. If any negligence is found to be the cause of the death of the elephant, strict action will be taken against the officers and staff.”

The elephant’s death will be reviewed from every aspect, Wahab said, adding that a full postmortem of the elephant will be conducted and the public and the media will be informed of all updates.