Shankar, Delhi Zoo’s Only African Elephant, Dies After Years in Solitary Confinement
Shankar, the sole African elephant at Delhi Zoo, died at 29 after refusing food, highlighting long-standing concerns over his decades of isolation.
Animal welfare activists in India are mourning the death of Shankar, the only African elephant at Delhi Zoo.
The 29-year-old male elephant collapsed on Wednesday after refusing food and died within 40 minutes despite veterinary care, officials said.
Shankar spent 24 years in the zoo, at least 13 of them in solitary confinement after his companion died in 2001.
The cause of death remains under investigation, zoo director Sanjeet Kumar told INLIBER.
Shankar arrived in 1998 as a diplomatic gift from Zimbabwe but lost his partner three years later.
Attempts to integrate him with Asian elephants failed due to aggression, a former zoo official said.
Isolated and deprived of companionship, Shankar's behavior changed and he remained alone in a new enclosure from 2012 until his death, despite a 2009 federal ban on solitary confinement beyond six months.
Activists petitioned for his transfer to a wildlife sanctuary with other African elephants. In 2021, Delhi High Court was asked to order his relocation but dismissed the petition in 2023.
Shankar was one of only two African elephants in Indian zoos; the other resides in Mysore.
Efforts to find mates stalled over cost, regulation, and welfare concerns, The Indian Express reported.
Critics called his enclosure bleak and inadequate. "It was preventable," said Nikita Dhawan of Youth For Animals. "He had no serious health issues and was too young." The average lifespan of African elephants is 70 years.
Zoo director Sanjeet Kumar said Shankar showed no signs of illness until Wednesday morning.
Activist Gauri Maulekhi described his death as systemic failure, demanding accountability. "This must be a watershed moment to end the solitary confinement of social animals in zoos."
The zoo's membership in the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums was suspended in October 2024 over Shankar's care. The body gave the zoo until April 2025 to improve or face termination.
Plans to bring a female companion were announced in October, with Zimbabwe and Botswana expressing interest, but no notice was received and Shankar died before a mate arrived.
Shankar’s death underscores the risks of prolonged isolation for social animals and highlights the urgent need for reforms in zoo welfare standards.
This topic was reported by BBC News
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