THE recent death of Sonia, the elephant at Safari National Park in Karachi, highlights the pressing ethical and pra-ctical concerns associated with keeping wild animals in captivity, particularly when their fundamental needs are cont-inuously neglected.

As a matter of fact, zoos and similar facilities are meant to serve as centres for education, conservation and wildlife appreciation. However, when animals are housed without adequate shelter, nutrition, professional healthcare, or proper hygiene, their wellbeing gets compromised, and the purpose of such institutions is undermined.

A critical issue in captive environments is maintaining proper hygiene. Poor sanitary conditions deteriorate animal health, and facilitate the spread of infectious diseases.

Reverse zoonosis, or anthroponosis, is a process where humans transmit various bacteria to the caged animals, and these pathogens can cause severe illnesses, including skin infections, tuberculosis and drug-resistant infections.

Captive elephants, for instance, are particularly vulnerable to endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), a virus that leads to fatal haemorrhagic disease.

Additionally, parasitic infections, like coccidia and strongylida, thrive in unclean environments, compounding the threat to animal health.

In Pakistan, the treatment of zoo animals has been alarmingly inadequate. Instances of untreated diseases, unhygienic conditions, and an utter lack of pro- fessional oversight are distressingly common, highlighting systemic failures.

These issues have led to the premature deaths of numerous species, including elephants, whose suffering symbolises the broader challenges facing captive wildlife in the country.

Ensuring the highest animal welfare standards in zoos and national parks requires robust policies, professional veterinary care, and the involvement of trained personnel with expertise in animal behaviour and health.

Public interaction with zoo animals, such as feeding or touching, should be strictly prohibited to minimise the risk of disease transmission.

Besides, learning from the stringent protocols established in developed cou-ntries can provide a roadmap for improving captive animal care in Pakistan.

In simple, without such reforms, the captivity of wild animals will remain a contentious and unethical practice, defeating its intended purpose and perpetuating the suffering of wildlife.

Habib Hyder Laghari
Edmonton, Canada

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2025