Save The Elephants’ Tribute To Bull Elephant Edison.

An Abrupt End To The Jumbo Life Of Iconic Bull Elephant Edison.

**Edison in Samburu National Reserve Credit: Alice Clark/Save the Elephants**

We are deeply saddened to report that one of our best-known and most beloved bull Elephants, Edison, has died. Edison’s carcass was found in Westgate Conservancy in Samburu, northern Kenya. We suspect his untimely death could be yet another tragic outcome of the rising cases of Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) across Africa. Investigations into the cause of death are still continuing. Edison’s death marks the third loss of one of our Samburu study bull Elephants within the span of just under a year. In December, bull Elephants Sarara and Yeagar were both killed in conflict with herders.

**Matt, Samburu’s biggest tusker, who faced off with Edison in Samburu National Reserve, Credit: Sarah Jacobson/Save the Elephants**

Edison was estimated to be approximately 37 years old and in the prime of his life at the time of his death. Born into the Royals family and known to our researchers since he was a teenager, Edison was a feisty wild bull and quite the mama’s boy too. Most bulls venture out for a life of their own when they are around 10-12 years old but when Edison dispersed, he kept coming back to visit his family on and off for the next couple of years.

Edison’s fearless, spirited nature was well-known to many. He was never one to shy away from confrontation, even challenging older and much larger bull Elephants like the late Matt – then Samburu’s biggest tusker who died in 2019. During one dramatic stand-off between the two-testosterone-fueled bulls in 2016, Save the Elephants’ founder, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, got caught in the middle and found himself face to face with Edison who charged his vehicle.

Save the Elephants has been observing and studying the lives of Elephants for more than three decades, gaining fundamental insights into how they behave and make decisions. By analysing the data from Edison’s GPS tracking collar, STE researchers were surprised to discover that while this adventurous bull spent much of his time travelling north to far flung places such as Kipsing, Westgate, Kalama and Ol Donyiro, he would always return home to Samburu National Reserve at full speed when in musth to find mates.

Edison was collared by our team multiple times after his collar either dropped off or the batteries ran out – GPS collars only have a lifespan of around three years. While most collaring operations proceed without a hitch, there’s one incident which is forever etched in our minds.

Our Director of Field Operations, David Daballen, remembers running for the hills during one particular collaring mission when Edison, an enormous bull by then, suddenly awoke just as he was about to be fitted with the tracking device. The whole team, including the vet, had to abandon what they were doing and run for safety. It turned out that the anaesthesia hadn’t fully kicked in and Edison had momentarily woken up. Fortunately , Edison dropped back to sleep and the team were able to complete the mission successfully.

Edison’s last collaring in April 2023 was just as nail biting. Edison went down on his chest, the worst position for an Elephant to be in as they risk suffocating. This time, the STE collaring team were able to push him onto his side and he was again successfully fitted with his new collar.

**STE researchers, including David Daballen (below in this picture ) recollaring Edison in Samburu National Reserve in April 2023. Credit: Gilbert Sabinga/Save the Elephants**

Says David Daballen, “Losing Elephants like Edison, whom we’ve observed throughout their entire lives, is always a profound loss. Their actions and interactions offer valuable insights into Elephant society. By closely tracking and monitoring these intelligent beings, we also gain a deeper understanding of their distinct personalities and characteristics. Edison, in particular, was a bold, maybe even an audacious Elephant, unafraid to assert himself, as demonstrated when he once challenged the venerable Elephant elder, Matt. We will sorely miss his presence in the reserve and following his remarkable adventures.”

Watch the epic confrontation between Edison and Matt below.

Author: Tanya Onserio, Save the Elephants

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Bhagavan ‘Doc’ Antle Of Netflix’s ‘Tiger King’ Pleads Guilty To Wildlife Trafficking And Money Laundering.

An exotic wildlife preserve owner who gained notoriety on the popular Netflix series “Tiger King” pled guilty on Monday to animal trafficking and money laundering, the U.S. Justice Department announced.

Bhagavan “Doc” Antle oversaw the sale or purchase of Cheetah cubs, Lion cubs, Tigers and a juvenile Chimpanzee that were all protected as endangered species, according to a Justice Department release. Officials said the 63-year-old man featured in a documentary mini-series about the Tiger trade tried to hide animal payments as “donations” to his nonprofit organization.

“The defendant held himself out as a conservationist, yet repeatedly violated laws protecting endangered animals and then tried to cover up those violations,” Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division said in a statement.

Antle On *The Tonight Show Credit: Paul Drinkwater*

Antle faces a maximum of five years’ imprisonment, fines up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release for each count. He is also the owner and operator of the Myrtle Beach Safari, which is also known as The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, or T.I.G.E.R.S., prosecutors said. The safari is a 50-acre nature preserve that offers tours and the chance for private encounters with wildlife, prosecutors said.

Antle faces a maximum of five years’ imprisonment, fines up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release for each count.

Investigators found evidence that Antle and a coconspirator had also used cash acquired through the transportation and harboring of immigrants who illegally entered the country.

It’s the latest fallout for the subjects of “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.” Joe Exotic, the show’s star, is serving a 21-year prison sentence for trying to hire two different men to kill animal welfare activist Carol Baskin. The ongoing feud between Joe Exotic — whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage — and Baskin featured prominently in the show. Maldonado-Passage had one year shaved off his penalty last year as he began treatment for early-stage cancer.

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As The Internet Went Into Meltdown Over The Killing Of Cecil The Lion By Minnesota Trophy Hunter Walter Palmer, Another Man Was Causing A Stir After A Photo Published In National Geographic Went Viral At The Same Time.

**Kerry and Libby Krottinger in their ‘Wall Of Death’ room**

Kerry Krottinger, a wealthy Texas hunter and businessman, has slaughtered so much African wildlife over the years that he amassed a veritable “wall of death” in his Dallas home. The National Geographic portrait depicts him sitting with his wife among the taxidermied bodies of Lions, Rhinos, Cheetah, Giraffes and enough Elephant tusks to open a traditional Chinese hospital.

The British-based charity LionAID, which uploaded the photo to their Facebook page, took a markedly dim view. “This is just one Texas trophy hunter with a ‘love’ of Africa,” they write. “Is it any wonder that Africa’s wildlife is disappearing? Just have a count of the various species displayed. Three Lions? So many Elephant tusks? A Giraffe? A Rhino? Kerry must be one of the leading CONservation hunters on the planet!”

Little is known about Krottinger’s personal life. Aside from being an energy millionaire with multiple companies to his name, he and his wife Libby operate a Gypsy horse farm called Ndugu Ranch. A website about the property had been taken offline, but a cache copy can be viewed here. A Facebook page also associated with the ranch was also taken down. Next to a smiling photo of the pair, Krottinger wrote he named the ranch after the Swahili word for “brother” or “family member,” and that the couple has “a great love for Africa.”

Krottinger’s kingly haul of animal carcasses was acquired through what’s known as “conservation hunting,” a practice that is supposedly designed to protect species by allowing people to hunt animals for a high fee that’s then to be used for other conservation efforts.

Far from poachers, conservations hunters — and the websites that promote them — see themselves as environmentalists. LionAID’s director Pieter Kat said the whole premise was nonsense.

“Conservation hunting is a complete myth,” he told Mic. “If conservation hunting had been effective, Cecil the Lion would not have to have been poached out of a national park, because conservation hunting would have maintained a viable and sustainable Lion population within their own trophy hunting concession.” According to Kat, steep fees like the more than $50,000 Palmer paid to kill Cecil typically end up in the pockets of tour operators. “Sustainable hunting does not sustain anything,” he said.

PETA president Ingrid Newkirk was blunter still. “The idea of killing animals to ‘protect’ their species is like having 5-year-olds build a child-labor museum,” she said in a statement to Mic. “True conservationists are the people who pay to keep animals alive through highly lucrative eco-tourism, not the power-hungry people who pay for the cheap thrill of taking magnificent animals’ lives and putting their heads on a wall.”

On Twitter, the response was one of almost universal disgust, with the photo generating near Cecil-levels of rage.

Kat was unapologetic about the Krottinger-shaming on LionAID’s Facebook page. “What we were trying to do there is to alert people to the fact that trophy hunters have this sort of enjoyment of their activity, and what we would like to expose to people is these sorts of people belong in the 19th century,” he said.

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The Emotional Moment Giraffes Hold ‘Funeral’ To Mourn For Member Of Their Herd Who Died During Childbirth That Drove Tourist To Tears

Photographer Callum Perry said: ‘It brought tears to my eyes – seeing the Giraffes’ journey to their fallen friend was one of the most emotional scenes I have ever seen.

**Incredible footage shows the moment a group of Giraffes come to pay their respects to one of their own who died during childbirth. Credit: Callum Perry.**

This incredible footage shows the moment a group of Giraffes come to pay their respects to one of their own who died during childbirth.

The group of Giraffes were captured on camera walking towards the corpse in a gathering filled with human emotions as they mourned and said goodbye to a member of their audience.

Photographer Callum Perry, 28, from Britain, who is currently traveling in South Africa, captured the rare moment in the Marataba Contractual National Park.

“The giraffe’s funeral made me take a step back and look at the beauty I’ve seen in my life, and that even in life’s most difficult moments, there can be silver linings.

**One by one the Giraffes pay their respects. Credit: Callum Perry.**

‘I was really fascinated by the emotion of this whole scene; words can hardly do it justice. I feel honored to have been there as they all paid their respects.

“Most of the people I know in the safari industry had never seen this happen before, so they were amazed and a little jealous.”

Photos show a group of more than five Giraffes examining the dead body as it lay on the ground.

In the video, a Giraffe is seen walking towards the dead member of their pack before being followed by others.

Giraffes Mourn The Death Of One Of Their Own Credit: Callum Perry.

One by one, each Giraffe bowed to send its beloved friend away.

Giraffes are thought to mourn their dead, as Zoe Muller, a wildlife biologist from the University of Bristol who founded the Rothschild’s Giraffe Project in Kenya, recalled a moment she witnessed more than a decade ago.

Muller said she saw 17 female Giraffes looking sad and that the pack traveled to a part of the savannah they don’t normally visit.

It turned out that a calf had died and Muller witnessed the group of Giraffes gathering at its mother and staying with her for two days after death.

She interpreted the Giraffes’ behavior as sadness, but she was afraid to say this because some scientists believe the opposite.

She said, as quoted in The National Wildlife Federation: “My personal position has changed. I would now be much more open about acknowledging non-human grief. Giraffes, humans, we are all mammals.

‘Our emotion system is largely driven by hormones, and hormones have probably evolved in the same way in all mammals.’

A similar incident happened to photographer Edward Selfe while tracking Thornicroft’s Giraffes in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia.

He watched over a few days as a herd appeared to ‘mourn’ the loss of one of their number. A female died over complications with pregnancy and was quickly exploited by scavengers. But each day, the rest of the herd would stop and watch as the vultures squabbled and the hyaenas chewed on the remains. It’s anthropomorphism to suggest that it was mourning, but their curiosity certainly extended beyond simply observing something that caught their eye.

**A herd of Thornicroft’s Giraffes mourn the loss of one of their number. Credit: Edward Selfe.**

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Over 150 Endangered Pink and Tucuxi River Dolphins Have Died As Drought Intensifies In The Amazon

Researchers from the Mamiraua Institute for Sustainable Development retrieve dead dolphins from Tefe lake, which flows into the Solimoes river, that has been affected by the High temperatures and drought in Tefe, Amazonas state, Brazil, October 2, 2023. Credit: Bruno Kelly

Researchers from the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Institute (IDSM) and other organisations are racing against time to mitigate the impacts of the environmental emergency in and around Lake Tefé in the Brazilian state of Amazonas.

Since September 23, as the drought has worsened and water temperatures have risen, 153 River Dolphins have been found dead in the region: 130 Pink River Dolphins and 23 Tucuxi. In one week, the loss was around 10% of the local river Dolphins population. On the 28th of September alone, when the water temperature exceeded 39ºC, 70 River Dolphin carcasses were recorded, in addition to hundreds of fish.

The crisis, however, goes far beyond the loss of River Dolphins. There is an increase in mortality of fish species in the region, which are essential for the food security and livelihoods of local communities. The drought is also impacted water supplies and transportation, isolating some communities. Overall, 500,000 people have already been impacted.

**Researchers are still trying to confirm the cause of death, but they suspect the high water temperatures are to blame. Image Credit: Bruno Kelly**

“What is happening at Lake Tefé is terrifying. The impact of the loss of these animals is enormous and affects the entire local ecosystem”, warns Mariana Paschoalini Frias, Conservation analyst at WWF-Brazil. “River Dolphins are considered ‘sentinels’. In other words: they are indicative of the health of the environment where they live. What happens to them is reflected in the other species that live around them, including humans.”

“In our studies on Amazonian Dolphins, we found that they suffer from several pressures, such as fishing, mercury contamination and the impact of hydropower plants. But these events in Tefé show that more research needs to be carried out on how they will be affected by worsening climate change,” she added.

The deaths highlight the urgent need to scale up efforts to conserve the world’s River Dolphins – and the importance of the Global Declaration for River Dolphins, which will be signed by South American and Asian range states in Colombia on October 24th.

The operation was divided into different fronts. One of them, called Alive Operation Sector, monitors groups of Pink and Tucuxi River Dolphins along Lake Tefé, an isolated environment that is home to a large population of these two endangered species. When the team finds an individual with signs of abnormality, they are able to rescue them and take them to the Rehabilitation Float. The Operation Dead Sector, in turn, aims to identify and search for carcasses in the region and perform necropsies to collect samples for laboratory analysis. And the Environmental Operation Sector works to monitor water, fish and phytoplankton, organisms composed of microalgae and photosynthetic bacteria.

**Tucuxi Amazon river dolphins (Sotalia fluviatilis). Image Credit: Projeto Boto**

Of all the variables analysed so far by experts, the one that has shown discrepant changes is water temperature, reinforcing that River Dolphins mortality is related to climate change, the effects of El Niño and extreme drought. The water temperature of Lake Tefé reached close to 40°C, says oceanographer Miriam Marmontel, leader of the Amazon Aquatic Mammals research group at IDSM, when the maximum average over time has been 32 degrees, a fact that certainly generated thermal stress in animals.

Members of the environmental consultancy Aqua Viridi also identified in one of the lake’s points an unusual number of alga Euglena sanguinea, which produces a toxin that can cause mortality in fish. The assessment carried out on the river Dolphins, however, did not confirm that the animals have been affected by possible toxins produced by these organisms. Other analyses are underway to help understand the algae’s possible role in the current environmental and health emergency.

Since the beginning of the crisis, 104 River Dolphins have been necropsied and tissue and organ samples have been sent to specialised laboratories. Seventeen individuals have already been assessed and, to date, there is no evidence of an infectious agent as the primary cause of deaths. Molecular diagnostics of 18 individuals also tested negative for infectious agents, such as viruses and bacteria, associated with mass deaths.

In Lake Tefé, there is a stretch called Enseada do Papucu, which has been critical for animals due to the water temperature. Even so, many Dolphins continue to frequent the area due to the abundance of fish, their basic diet. To prevent further deaths, the area is being isolated with a physical barrier called “pari”, which is made of wooden stakes and is based on traditional riverside knowledge. Subsequently, the species will be moved to deeper, less hot areas.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the species as endangered and reports that its numbers are shrinking. The Dolphins are susceptible to numerous threats, ranging from industrial and agricultural pollution to drilling for oil and gas.

The Amazon River Dolphin (*Inia geoffrensis*), or *boto*, acquires its pink hue from repeated abrasion of the skin surface. Males are typically pinker than females because of more frequent trauma due to aggression. Image Credit: Sylvain Cordier

Pink River Dolphins are a source of tourism income for some local communities, which call them “boto” or “bufeo,” per the New York Times. They are part of Amazonian legends and stories, including one in which the Dolphins turn into handsome men to seduce young women. The animals’ well-being is thought to be an indicator of the health of the river ecosystem.

“The past month in Tefé has seemed like a science-fiction climate change scenario,” says Daniel Tregidgo, a British researcher who lives in the region, to the Guardian’s Jonathan Watts. “To know that one [Dolphin] has died is sad, but to see piles of carcasses, knowing that this drought has killed over 100, is a tragedy.”

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Was Namibia’s Collared Black Maned Desert Lion Mwezi Illegally Killed By Trophy Hunters Aided By The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism?

**Black Maned Desert Lion Mwezi (XPL 107) Image Credit: Ingrid Mandt**

According to the Desert Lion conservation organization DELHRA (Desert Lions Human Relations Aid), it can be assumed that one of the last black-maned male desert lions, “Mwezi” or “XPL 107”, was ‘harvested’ as a trophy on Wednesday, October 11.

In a letter to the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), DELHRA writes: “Having learned from reliable sources and informants that the male Lion, known as ‘Mwezi’, was allegedly shot, we would like to contact the ministry to know the circumstances and justification for such an alleged killing.”

According to the report, the tracking system of the satellite collar (which is supposed to protect her) was abused to locate the Lion in a protected area. “That is, in the Palmwag concession or, more likely, in the adjacent Skeleton Coast Park, by trophy hunters who were allegedly accompanied by MEFT officials.”

The Desert Lion Conservation Organization further states: “On October 12, we received a report from our informant in Khowarib that the Lion Rangers had received a warning SMS (this happens when a collared lion breaks through a geo-fence) indicating a Lion near the Wild Veld Safaris hunting camp in Khowarib village.” The investigation revealed that it was a dead Lion that had allegedly been kept in the hunting camp since the early evening of October 11.

**Black Maned Desert Lion Mwezi (XPL 107) Image Credit:** Desert Lion Conservation

According to Desert Lion Conservation, “Mwezi” was still observed and photographed on Sept. 27 when he mated with a lone Lioness, XPL 108, the last survivor of the Obab pride, and followed her into the Skeleton Coast Park, the tracks suggested.

According to DELAHRA, the investigation revealed that two vehicles – one from the MEFT and the other allegedly a hunting vehicle – had entered the Palmwag concession area, with the crew citing “police action” as the reason for the entry. “This coincided with the report coming out of Khowarib later that day, and we learned from a source that the dead lion in the Khowarib hunting camp was the beautiful black-maned desert Lion Mwezi, which had been sought as a trophy for some time.”

DELHRA is of the opinion that a criminal investigation that compels the release of the information will clear up this case and that the parties involved, if warranted, should be prosecuted, as a permit to hunt in the Palmwag concession or in the Skeleton Coast Park cannot have been lawfully granted, and that if it is granted for a hunt in a concession area, but is hunted in the Palmwag or Skeleton Coast Protected Areas, such a permit would be considered null and void.

The letter to MEFT further states: “Based on our information, we would welcome answers to our questions or even a joint and transparent investigation. We ask you to inform us of the following: Has the MEFT issued a trophy permit for hunting XPL 107? If so, could the MEFT please justify this? We ask for a copy of the hunting permit and a copy of the report of the MEFT officer who accompanied the hunting party. We also ask for a copy of the protocol of the website concerning the downloads of the positions of this Lion between September 1 and now by all users. Finally, we are asking for copies of reports of incidents in which XPL 107 may have been involved.”

It goes on to say: “We intend to file a complaint and contact the Information Access Officer and the Ombudsman, as the destruction of natural resources falls within the remit of these bodies in the event that the MEFT does not respond. In such a case, those who have access to the relevant information may be summoned as witnesses.”

The Ministry of the Environment had not responded to questions at the time of going to press.

**The Desert Lions Of Namibia Image Credit: Wilderness Travel**

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Animal Welfare Groups Urge The Sint Maarten Government To Stop The Vervet Monkey Cull Immediately.

**SINT MAARTEN PLAN TO CULL ALL THE ISLAND’S VERVET MONKEYS**

Seventy-five animal welfare organisations and experts have called on the government of Sint Maarten in the Caribbean to immediately stop its attempt to cull the territory’s entire population of Vervet monkeys.

The international protest comes after the Guardian revealed in January that the Dutch territory is funding a non-profit organisation to eradicate the “nuisance” species over the next three years.

The animal advocacy non-profit Born Free USA, which coordinated the protest, says experts are ready and willing to support the government with a more humane sterilisation programme. But they say they have not received a reply to their offer.

However, the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten, which is carrying out the cull, has said that while the project is “painful and controversial”, it remains a necessity.

“Given the current significant but manageable size of the vervet monkey population, there is a window of opportunity to ensure that the issue does not worsen in coming decades,” it said in a statement.

Vervet monkeys were introduced to the region from Africa sometime around the 17th century and the first sightings on Sint Maarten date back to the early 1970s.

Research carried out by the Nature Foundation St Maarten found in 2020 that about 450 were living on the Dutch side of the island. By 2022, that number had increased to about 2,000.

“Given the current significant but manageable size of the vervet monkey population, there is a window of opportunity to ensure that the issue does not worsen in coming decades,” it said.

The monkeys have been blamed for eating crops, destroying gardens, entering schools and acting aggressively.

Last December, the territory’s ministry of tourism, economic affairs, transportation and telecommunication approved 100,000 Netherlands Antillean guilders (US$55,000) funding to control the species.

The foundation said this was enough to pay for a single full-time ranger to carry out the cull along with equipment, but not for a sterilisation programme.

Born Free USA says the information on which the cull is based is “fundamentally flawed”.

The group offered its “expertise, including voluntary veterinary services” for alternative humane species management, and said it will also provide training to neighbouring territories.

“In this way, Sint Maarten could lead the way on humane primate population management in the Caribbean region,” the group wrote in a letter to the Sint Maarten government.

“We would be grateful if you would consider postponing plans to cull the animals and working with us to explore truly humane alternatives.”

In its statement, Nature Foundation Sint Maarten said local law prevents anyone from releasing non-native species – so setting monkeys free after sterilisation would be a violation of the law.

It added: “In the face of substantial monkey overpopulation, neighbouring islands have turned to more desperate means of population control.”

The foundation said that among those are consumption, poisoning, hunting and shipping monkeys away for biomedical research.

“These are all invasive species management strategies that St Maarten would like to avoid by preventing the situation here from reaching that point at all,” it concluded.

The cull is projected to end in 2026, at which point the foundation says it plans to thoroughly assess its impact and review alternative, long-term management options within local law.

Born Free USA has also launched a public petition asking for non-lethal measures to control the invasive primate population which you can sign here: STOP THE MONKEY CULL!

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‘Historic Moment’ As New Fox Hunting Ban Comes Into Force In Scotland

The Scottish Greens say it is a “historic moment” in Scotland’s progress as a nation, as a new fox hunting ban comes into force.

A new law banning the hunting with packs of dogs and “flushing out” wild mammals came into force across Scotland on Tuesday after MSPs passed a Bill back in January.

This will replace the Protection of Wild Mammals Act, which was passed in 2002. The Scottish Government says that legislation had a loophole that allowed illegal hunts to continue.

The original Act allowed hunters to use dogs to flush out foxes from under cover as long as the foxes were then shot, and providing the hunt was to protect livestock or ground-nesting birds, or to prevent the spread of disease.

**A fox being fed to the hounds at the Fife Hunt, Lindores**

Now no more than two dogs can be used to stalk or flush out animals from cover unless a licence is granted. The rules also prohibit trail hunting, where dogs follow an animal-based scent.

The Scottish Greens say this is a historic moment in Scotland’s progress as a nation that respects and values wildlife.

Ariane Burgess MSP, the party’s rural affairs spokeswoman, said: “This is a historic day. We finally have a real hunting ban after decades of campaigning.

“Hunting with dogs is brutal, cruel and outdated. It has no place in a modern or progressive Scotland, and we should all take pride in this new law.

**Barbaric: Hounds Ripping A Live Fox Apart**

“Loopholes in the original hunting ban were ruthlessly exploited by those who were determined to continue hunting. This law is much more robust, but we will be watching carefully to ensure it is effective and abided by.”

Environment minister Gillian Martin agreed it was a “truly historic milestone” in Scotland.

She said: “This law finally closes the loophole that has allowed the archaic practice of hunting wild animals with packs of dogs to persist in our country for over 20 years. It has taken us almost a decade to get to this point.

“In that time the sheer volume of responses to our consultations have shown us just how concerned people still are about fox hunting in Scotland.

“We have listened and we have delivered. We have succeeded in crafting a law that strikes a balance – one which rightly bans barbaric hunting methods, but which still allows farmers and land managers to undertake legitimate wildlife management.”

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Free The Karachi Zoo Elephants From Years Of Neglect And Suffering

The three remaining African Elephants in Karachi, Pakistan continue to be subjected to poor care and living conditions despite these factors playing a significant role in the premature death of the fourth Karachi Elephant ‘Noor Jehan’ in April 2023.

Madhubala at Karachi Zoo is now alone despite Elephants being herd animals, her solitary status has been documented to be causing her severe angst. In addition, she resides in a small barren environment that fails to meet her species-specific needs. Questions also remain around her diet & general care.

**Four Paws Vets perform dental treatment on Madhubala at Karachi Zoo.**

Sonia & Malika at Karachi Safari Park fare slightly better having a green pasture to reside in during the day (in recent months the Elephants have been afforded greater access to the pasture & this must continue) although the cages in which they are incarcerated at night remain abhorrent and entirely unsuitable for Elephants (a third cage of the same type has been constructed in anticipation of Madhubala’s arrival)

**Noor Jehan Shortly Before Her Death** In April2023

Following the death of Noor Jehan and recognising that the three remaining Karachi Elephants are suffering, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation struck a verbal agreement with animal welfare organisation Four Paws International to upgrade the Elephant enclosure at the Safari Park to create a more species-specific environment as well as training caretakers to afford the Elephants’ better ongoing care. In line with these improvements Four Paws also agreed to complete the move of Madhubala to the Safari Park to be with other Elephants in what would become a more appropriate setting.

In June 2023 Barrister Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui was elected Mayor of Karachi and since then the agreement has stalled with no further progress and no signed MOU (Memorandum of Understanding)

Mayor Murtaza Wahab in dragging his feet to sign the MOU is prolonging the suffering of all three Elephants and particularly Madhubala.

So as not to cause further suffering to the elephants Mayor Murtaza Wahab must sign the MOU without further delay or relinquish all three Elephants to a recognised Elephant sanctuary outside Pakistan

Please Sign The Petition: STOP THE SUFFERING OF THE KARACHI ELEPEHANTS

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP ANIMALS IN NEED

You can support our work by donating as little as £5 – It only takes a minute but it can last a lifetime for an animal in need.

PLEASE DONATE HERE

Everyone who donates will receive a Certificate of Appreciation as a thank you for helping animals in need.

The Mission of Protect All Wildlife is to prevent cruelty and promote the welfare of ALL animals.

We believe EVERY animal should be treated with respect, empathy, and understanding. We raise awareness to protect and conserve wild, captive, companion and farm animals.

DON’T FORGET YOUR TRUNKS! Baby Elephant Tries To Forget Her Fear Of Water As She Receives Hydrotherapy In Bid To Learn To Walk Again After Injuring Her Foot In A Snare

Staff at a Thai animal hospital take six-month-old orphan Clear Sky swimming to strengthen her leg muscles.

This baby Elephant is trying to forget her fear of water as she learns to walk again after losing part of her foot.

The nervous six-month-old grabbed a keeper for support as she was lowered into the pool at an animal hospital in Chonburi, Thailand.

**CLEAR SKY IS LEARNING TO WALK AGAIN IN A SWIMMING POOL AFTER SHE INJURED HER FOOT.**

The six-month-old is the first elephant to receive hydrotherapy at the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden animal hospital in Thailand

Clear Sky caught her leg in an animal trap laid by villagers to protect their crops.

Staff at the animal hospital are trying to help her strengthen her withered leg muscles.

After surgery she is now having treatment to strengthen her leg muscles.

**STAFFERS USE A HARNESS TO HELP CLEAR SKY INTO THE WATER AND KEEP HER AFLOAT**

**THIS WAS HER SECOND TIME GETTING WATER THERAPY**

Baby Elephants usually love water, but Clear Sky was ‘a bit nervous and scared’, said a vet.

However she appeared to relax by the end of the hour-long session.

Vet Padet Siridumrong said: “She is still a bit nervous and scared of the water.

“Usually baby Elephants love the water.

“If she can do this regularly she will have fun.”

Villagers had found Clear Sky hungry and hobbling, after being separated from her mother in the wild.

Vets hope with more swimming, she won’t need an artificial leg.

The orphaned Elephant was in bad shape when she arrived at the hospital.

She was hobbling, in pain and in dire need of milk.

‘Kampon Tansacha, the director of the zoo that’s now her home, said: “We named her Clear Sky Up Ahead, because that is what she will need while she is with us.”

Elephants are a revered national symbol in Thailand, but their population in the wild has plummeted to an estimated 2,500 in the last century, a result of rabid development, habitat destruction and the ivory trade.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP ANIMALS IN NEED

You can support our work by donating as little as £5 – It only takes a minute but it can last a lifetime for an animal in need.

PLEASE DONATE HERE

Everyone who donates will receive a Certificate of Appreciation as a thank you for helping animals in need.

The Mission of Protect All Wildlife is to prevent cruelty and promote the welfare of ALL animals.

We believe EVERY animal should be treated with respect, empathy, and understanding. We raise awareness to protect and conserve wild, captive, companion and farm animals.