Noor Jehan, a 16-year-old elephant at the Karachi Zoo who has joint discomfort, is in worse shape than ever, and “anything can happen to her at any time,” according to reports.
The zoo administration maintained Noor on painkillers, and as a result, several organs of the elephant became diseased, according to sources aware of the process. Noor is reportedly unable to walk owing to bone pain. The medication given to her to lessen the swelling in her joints has made her knees worse.
According to the sources, the zoo had earlier received advice from foreign agencies to preserve the elephants in open settings. In response, senior director of the Karachi Zoo Khalid Hashmi then submitted a letter requesting that the elephants be moved to Safari Park.
When questioned about the situation, Hashmi responded, “The elephant’s health is not that poor. Tests have been conducted on Noor Jehan, and efforts are being made to treat her condition with medication. Her medications are imported, which raises the price.
When asked when they would visit the Karachi Zoo, the spokesperson indicated that a plan of action will be chosen as soon as the study was completed.
Dr. Amir Rizvi, a zoologist at the Karachi Zoo, could not be reached for comment.
No food for animals
In other developments, the Karachi Zoo’s food suppliers claim that Hashmi and former director Raza Abbas Rizvi are demanding payment in order to settle their unpaid invoices.
The contractors claim in a letter to the Metropolitan Commissioner that one company is due Rs34,600,000 and the other is owed Rs8,400,000 in unpaid bills.
The former zoo director allegedly received a “huge amount” from the contractors when asked to pay the bills, but the payment was not processed, according to the letter.
The appellants also claimed that Hashmi is currently requesting a 25% commission on the bills in order to settle them.
The contractors claim in the letters that the zoo continues to buy animal feed at the same rate as it did three years ago.
The letters stated that “we have continued to supply the food despite the financial losses we have had to bear as a result of this.”
However, both contractors asserted that providing feed on loan was no longer an option and that past due amounts needed to be settled.