Dear MEL Topic Readers,
The lonely life and death of Delhi's only African elephant
In October 2024, the membership of the National Zoological Park in Delhi
was suspended by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums because of concerns
about the living conditions of a male African elephant, Shankar. There were
talks and plans, but no concrete action had been taken to improve the
conditions. Then, on the 17th of this month, the 24-year-old
elephant suddenly refused food, collapsed, and died. The cause of his early
death is still being investigated. Usually, African elephants live for 70
years. He came to the Delhi zoo from Zimbabwe in 1998 with a female companion,
which died in 2001. Since elephants are highly social animals, the zoo tried to
lodge Shanker with Asian elephants in the zoo, but no success. After all, the
male African elephant spent 24 years alone. Elephants use various forms of
communication, display complex emotions like empathy and grief, and cooperate
within their social structures to care for young and ensure the group's
survival. They seem too intelligent, social, and delicate to live only by
food and water.
Read the article and learn about this lonely African elephant that died
too early.
No comments:
Post a Comment