Foreign and local veterinarians are conducting a joint medical assessment of Madhubala, an ailing African elephant at Karachi’s Safari Park, after the park’s veterinary team failed to determine the cause of her deteriorating health.
Sri Lankan wildlife health specialist Dr Buddhika Bandara joined Dr Amir Khalil of animal welfare organisation Four Paws and the Safari Park veterinary team on Friday to examine Madhubala, who has lost significant weight and collapsed twice inside her enclosure in recent months.
Khalil told journalists at a press briefing at the park that Madhubala was suffering from multiple bacterial and parasitic infections, alongside weakness following treatment for tuberculosis.
“Additionally, she seems to suffer from a linear fracture in the carpal joint,” he said, referring to a suspected fracture in the joint near the wrist of the elephant’s foreleg.
Khalil stressed the need for improved care and management, saying foreign and local veterinarians had been in contact for several weeks to coordinate treatment.
Although Madhubala had shown signs of recovery, he cautioned that her long-term prognosis remained uncertain.
The visiting specialists are also expected to examine Malika, Madhubala’s only companion. The two elephants are the country’s last remaining captive elephants, according to reports.
Madhubala had previously been kept alone at Karachi Zoo following the death of her companion Noor Jehan, who died in 2023 after falling inside her enclosure.
An autopsy report released by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) attributed Noor Jehan’s death to a severe blood parasitic infection and internal trauma, compounded by a lack of proper medical care.
Madhubala was subsequently transferred from the zoo to Safari Park, where she was reunited with her sisters Sonia and Malika in November 2024. Four Paws supervised the relocation and worked extensively with the KMC on elephant welfare.
The reunion was short-lived, however, as Sonia died a month later after collapsing in her enclosure at the park.
Laboratory reports later found that Sonia had multiple chronic illnesses affecting almost all her vital organs. The findings pointed to prolonged neglect and a failure to diagnose her conditions in time.
