Activists campaign to relocate Madhubala, Karachi's last African elephant

An international animal‑welfare campaign is working to move Madhubala, the only African elephant left at Karachi Zoo, to the larger Safari Park on the city’s outskirts. The effort follows the death of her sister, Noor Jahan, in April 2023 and is being led by volunteer caregiver Jude Allen and the charity Four Paws. If the plan succeeds, Madhubala will join two other African elephants, Sonia and Malika, who have lived at the park since 2009.

The two sisters were among four calves captured in Tanzania in 2009 and shipped to Pakistan through an animal trader. Noor Jahan and Madhubala were placed in the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s zoo, while their sisters went to Safari Park. The plight of captive elephants entered the public eye in 2020 when Four Paws rescued Kaavan, an Asian elephant in Islamabad, and relocated him to a sanctuary in Cambodia. That high‑profile case shone a light on the conditions at Karachi Zoo, where activists say the animals receive inadequate care and space.

Allen first met Noor Jahan while volunteering at the zoo. He spent months massaging her legs and tending to her bedsores, but the elephant’s tusk became infected and she died of malnutrition and stress. The loss spurred a broader call for justice for captive wildlife in Karachi, a city of 20 million people. Madhubala now suffers from health problems and loneliness, often banging her head against the enclosure gate. Four Paws’ assessment found she needs a better diet, medical treatment and, most importantly, companionship. The group has prepared a relocation plan that would reunite her with Sonia and Malika at Safari Park, where they can share a larger habitat and enrichment activities.

The move faces logistical hurdles, including transport safety and securing funding from the Karachi authorities. If completed, it could set a precedent for improving conditions for other captive animals in Pakistan’s urban zoos. Activists hope the case will pressure officials to upgrade facilities, provide proper veterinary care, and consider the welfare of all zoo residents, not just the headline‑making elephants.