FOUR PAWS, a global animal welfare organisation, successfully transported African elephant Madhubala from her substandard living conditions at Karachi Zoo to a newly designed, species-appropriate habitat at the Karachi Safari Park. After more than 15 years apart, Madhubala’s reunion with her siblings Malika and Sonia represents a huge emotional turning point in her life.
“Madhubala’s rehoming into a species-appropriate enclosure is a gigantic step for more animal welfare in Pakistan and sends a strong signal to other countries around the world where elephants are still kept in private captivity for entertainment purposes,” says FOUR PAWS CEO and President Josef Pfabigan.
Read more: The Alarming Rise Of Animal Cruelty in Pakistan: When Will It End?
The Carefully Planned Relocation Process
Madhubala’s relocation was carefully organised to reduce her anxiety, guarantee her safety, and ensure the relocation went smoothly. Dr Frank Göritz of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) put the elephant under sedation to relax her before she was relocated. Madhubala was then lifted into a vehicle by the relocation crew, comprising of skilled FOUR PAWS specialists. To get to the Safari Park, the convoy travelled through Karachi’s busy streets with the help of FOUR PAWS employees and police.
“The efforts of all the involved stakeholders were tremendous. Especially the close alignment with the mayor of Karachi and KMC, Murtaza Wahab, fast-tracked the developments of Madhubala’s relocation. To finally see her thriving in her new species-appropriate enclosure exceeds our expectations. It is one of the main pillars of the work of FOUR PAWS to make sure we find sustainable long-term solutions to improve the lives of as many animals as possible together with our local stakeholders and global network,” says Pfabigan.
The health condition of the three elephants will be closely observed by the head veterinarian Dr Göritz, who has been involved in the treatment of the elephants since 2021. Furthermore, the upkeep and satisfaction of the elephants’ species-appropriate living conditions will be overseen by an independent task team in the future. To get ready for Madhubala’s move, Karachi Safari Park’s designated 5.2-acre sanctuary area underwent significant renovations.
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