Hathi has only 1 sathi as these babies wait for release from isolated quarantine

The city does not plan to pay for new animals or cages until 2012.

KARACHI:

Two baby elephants at Safari Park have been languishing in quarantine for over a year even though they have long cleared infection control since they arrived.

An animal in quarantine is isolated from other animals and has very limited human contact. Their prospects for moving in to improved living conditions seem bleak as the city does not even plan to discuss funds for zoos until next year's budget.

Four elephants were shipped to Karachi last year - three females and a male. Two were sent to the Zoological Gardens where they have been given proper enclosures, while the remaining two, that are about five years old, are still in quarantine at Safari Park. They have been temporarily called Malka and Sonu by the staff.

For elephants, international standards dictate a 40-day quarantine period for new arrivals at zoos to avoid the spread of infections. A doctor is supposed to visit them intermittently to monitor their health while they remain in isolation. However, the elephants have been in their temporary cages since June 30, 2009. Experts from the Community Development Department (CDD) explained that elephants are large and rather sensitive animals, therefore it is especially difficult for them to live in the confines of quarantine.

The CDD, of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK), said that the budget 2011-12 does not provide for the welfare of animals.

The CDD wanted to bring in more animals such as giraffes and hippopotami, for which it asked for more money, but their recommendations were ignored when the budget was decided. They had reportedly submitted a cost appraisal to a special committee headed by the Karachi DCO, a year -and-a-half ago but it is still on his desk. "We will include the recommendations to bring in animals and construct enclosures for the baby elephants in the annual development programme," said CDD EDO Rehana Saif.

She told The Express Tribune that private contractors had constructed the quarantine enclosure which includes four cages. They were verbally told that they would be paid but the CDGK has yet to clear their Rs4 million bill. The CDD revealed that one of the contractors had died of a heart attack and his bill was pending.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2011.