KARACHI: Elephant Sonia, who was found dead a day before in her Safari Park enclosure, was buried in an 18-foot deep grave after a team of vets carried out a post-mortem examination on Monday.

Sources said the autopsy was carried out by Dr Ghulam Mustafa, who had especially come to Karachi on the request of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and its partner Four Paws.

The sources said the only other veterinary expert in the ‘team’ was Dr Amir Ismail, deputy director of the Karachi Zoo. The two vets were assisted by Edhi volunteers.

Sharing details of the autopsy, Safari Park Director Amjad Zaidi said it was a five-hour-long procedure during which the team collected several samples from Sonia’s body for analysis.

“The autopsy report will take at least two weeks. It will definitely help understand the cause of Sonia’s sudden death,” he said, adding that Sonia was later buried in an 18-foot deep grave near her enclosure.

In a statement, Four Paws said the veterinary team was supported by Dr Amir Khalil online from Vienna during the procedure.

“Madhubala and Malika are both in good health despite their tragic loss. Based on the autopsy’s results, the treatment of the two remaining elephants will be potentially adjusted,” it said.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2024