Sri Lanka offers to gift two female elephants to Pakistan

Karachi: In the wake of the tragic death of Noor Jehan, an African elephant at Karachi Zoo, Sri Lanka on Monday offered to gift two elephants to Pakistan.

The Honorary Consul General of Sri Lanka, Yasin Joyia confirmed the development a day after Noor Jehan breathed her last at Karachi Zoo.

According to Joyia, Sri Lanka would be sending two female elephants to Pakistan, one for Karachi Zoo and another for Lahore. He expressed sorrow over the absence of elephants in Lahore Zoo since Suzi, the only large mammal there, passed away in May 2017.

Joyia expressed his condolences for the death of Noor Jehan, who died at the age of 17 due to prolonged health issues.

With a broken heart we must inform you that #NoorJehan passed away this morning. 💔 After an unfortunate incident that left her unable to leave the pool in her enclosure, Noor Jehan was unable to stand up on her own.

📸: PAWS | Mahera Omar pic.twitter.com/fOu1V3NMGB

— FOUR PAWS (@fourpawsint) April 22, 2023

The Sri Lankan envoy mentioned that the names of the elephants will be given by the government back home, and the announcement of their arrival will be made soon.

Since Noor Jehan's story surfaced, there has been a strong outcry from animal rights activists regarding the caging of animals in zoos. The pitiful condition of Noor Jehan was widely shared on social media, prompting calls for the closure of the zoo and blaming the zoo administration for "criminal negligence" and their disregard for animal rights.