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3mo ago

Delhi Zoo’s Lone African Elephant Shankar Dies as Officials Order Post-Mortem

The death follows years of solitary housing with welfare concerns that drew regulatory warnings.

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Shankar, almost 30, was presented as a diplomatic gift by Zimbabwe in 1998 and named after India’s ninth president, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma. He arrived with a companion, Bombai, who died in 2005. (HT Photo)
Shankar was flown in from Zimbabwe and presented to then President Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma as a diplomatic gift in 1998. He has been in Delhi Zoo since then. He passed away on Wednsday. File image/ courtesy: X@KVSinghMPGonda
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Overview

  • Zoo officials said Shankar collapsed inside his enclosure at 7:25 pm on September 17 and died by 8 pm after emergency treatment, following a morning of reduced appetite and loose stools.
  • An inquiry has been ordered, with a post-mortem led by IVRI Bareilly alongside the zoo’s health advisory committee and a representative of the Union Environment Ministry; the cause of death is pending.
  • Shankar, aged 29, arrived from Zimbabwe in 1998 as a diplomatic gift and had lived alone since 2005 after the death of his female companion, Bombai.
  • He was housed in a solitary enclosure from 2012, contrary to Central Zoo Authority guidelines that advise against keeping elephants alone for more than six months.
  • Management during musth included prolonged chaining and reported injuries, drawing scrutiny that preceded WAZA’s 2024 suspension of the zoo’s membership, while proposed companion transfers from Zimbabwe and Botswana did not proceed.