Captured in Tanzania in 2009 by animal traders, Noor Jehan arrived in Pakistan with three other baby elephants. She and another female elephant named Madhubala, were put in the small enclosures at Karachi Zoo and the other two were transferred to Karachi's Safari Park.
Born in the wild and trapped behind bars, Noor Jehan survived for 17 years before life became unbearable for her.
Named after the legendary Pakistani singer who died in 2000, Noor Jehan made local headlines in March when it was revealed that the elephant was suffering from severe swelling of her joints, which had left her partially immobile. She was also dealing with a hematoma in her abdomen and genitals which had become worryingly enlarged. Because of her immense pain, she could barely move.
It was reported at the time that Karachi Zoo's administration was failing its animals and was not doing anything to relieve Noor Jehan's pain. Foreign animal welfare organizations were giving the zoo administration advice on how to help Noor Jehan, but allegedly it was to no avail as the necessary steps were not taken and her condition did not improve.
A veterinarian from the global animal welfare group, Four Paws, takes a photo of an elephant named 'Noor Jahan" after her medical treatment at Karachi Zoo, in Karachi, Pakistan, Thursday, April 6, 2023.
© AP Photo / Fareed Khan
Pakistan's zoos are frequently criticized for poor animal welfare, and in 2020 a court ordered the only zoo in the country's capital Islamabad to shut because it was in such a decrepit state.
The director of Karachi Zoo was fired in March and a new chairman, Kunwar Ayub, was appointed.
On Thursday, things took a turn for the worse for the suffering Noor Jehan when she fell into a cemented pond in her enclosure. The zoo's administration informed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), which runs the zoo, and the corporation in turn took advice from the international animal rights group Four Paws, on how to rescue the elephant.
Veterinarians from the global animal welfare group, Four Paws, lift up an elephant named "Noor Jehan" for her medical check-up at Karachi Zoo, in Karachi, Pakistan, Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
© AP Photo / Fareed Khan
The Karachi Zoo authorities did not have the appropriate equipment, and it took them three hours to get her out. Many men with ropes and a large crane worked to take the elephant out of the enclosure and for the next couple of days an animal rights group, volunteers and social media buzzed with updates on Noor Jehan's condition which was rapidly deteriorating.
The vets - under guidance from the Austria-based organization, Four Paws - provided emergency medical treatment, including infusions and food, such as sugarcane juice, to give her some energy, but Noor Jehan kept lying on the sand pile next to a tree, without much movement.
Experts said that the elephant was exhausted and in pain, so, to perform some diagnostic tests, the 17-year-old elephant was sedated by veterinarians, who described the procedure as very risky and delicate and during which there was the risk of "losing her".
For the whole weekend, private vets, such as Dr Shehla Hayat and Dr Otho Zulfiqar, who have volunteered for elephant care at the zoo, did not leave Noor Jehan’s side. Meanwhile, Marina Ivanova, senior project manager at Four Paws said that Noor Jehan’s chances were not high, but added that the elephant "is a fighter, and we won’t give up on her".
Zookeepers take care of sick elephant named 'Noor Jehan' resting on a mound of sand at a zoo, in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, April 15, 2023.
© AP Photo / Fareed Khan
Even before her tragic fall the elephant’s muscle mass had shrunk, her spine appeared disfigured and her legs were crooked - conditions which are not at all consistent with her youth. African elephants live in the wild for about 70 to 80 years whereas elephants in captivity have a shorter life span - but usually manage to live to about 45, which scientists believe is the result of stress from poor mental health aggravated by captivity.
The oldest elephant in the world was an Asian elephant named Chengalloor Dakshayani who lived to be 89. The female elephant was born in 1930 and died on 5 February 2019 in India. From the age of 19, she lived at the Thiruvarattu Kavu temple; later on she was moved to the Chenkalloor Mahadeva Temple in India's state of Kerala where she was used in temple rituals and parades.
Before Chengalloor Dakshayani, the record was held by another Asian bull elephant - Lin Wang - who was 86 when he died in China.
If kept in good conditions and given proper care, these majestic animals can live for many years, but Pakistan has unfortunately time and again failed its vulnerable guests. Just last year, a zoo in the city of Lahore called off plans to auction 12 lions to private individuals after overbreeding, saying it would instead create new enclosures for the big cats.
A year before that, Islamabad Zoo attracted international condemnation for its treatment of an Asian elephant named Kaavan, who was dubbed "the loneliest elephant in the world". Social media videos of Kaavan crying and beating his head against the enclosure wall left many shocked and heartbroken.
After several years of negotiations and legal work, in a project spearheaded by US popstar Cher and carried out by Four Paws, Kavaan was airlifted to retirement in Cambodia in 2020.
Dr Amir Khalil, Four Paws veterinarian who led Kaavan’s rescue mission and formed a special bond with the elephant, issued a statement one year after the rescue mission, saying: "35 years in captivity causes a lot of trauma but Kaavan is making great progress, roaming around his spacious jungle enclosure and enjoying baths in his pond. Back in the zoo in Pakistan, he was showing severe behavioral problems, shaking his head and pacing back and forth in the dreary enclosure. He has re-discovered his natural instincts and can enjoy having other elephants around. Kaavan is living the life he deserves. I’m looking forward to visiting him as soon as possible to see for myself what a difference the last year made."
Feet of an elephant named "Noor Jehan" ties with rope during her medical check-up conducted by veterinarians from the global animal welfare group, Four Paws, at Karachi Zoo, in Karachi, Pakistan, Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
© AP Photo / Fareed Khan
Kavaan's traumatic life had the happy ending he deserved, but it did little to change the fate of other trapped animals. If Noor Jehan survives her ordeal what will the rest of her life look like? Will she continue to survive in absolute captivity in Karachi Zoo or will someone make it their mission to rescue and grant her the freedom she deserves?
This week, many Pakistanis have taken to social media to express their indignation with Noor Jehan's predicament.
Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, daughter of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari, said Karachi Zoo should be closed down "because it is clearly beyond the capacity of KMC".
Similarly, animal welfare charity, Protect All Wildlife, said that Karachi Zoo did not deserve Noor Jehan. "How was this allowed to happen? We are always being told that zoos are about saving and conserving," it tweeted.
Free The Wild Director, Anika Saleem said zoos were "evil torture chambers" and should immediately be closed. Ayesha Chundrigar, who runs a non-profit animal welfare organization based in Karachi, called the collapse of Noor Jehan "symbolic of the collapse of our nation".