Lonely life and death of Delhi’s only African elephant

Social protection activists in India cry the death of a much appreciated elephant that they have long sought to rehabilitate.

Shankar, the Lonely African Elephant of the Delhi Zoo who spent much of his life, refused food on Wednesday and collapsed in the evening. Despite veterinary efforts, the 29 -year -old man died in 40 minutes, officials said.

For 24 years, Shankar endured a lonely existence – of which at least 13 spent in cell isolation.

The cause of his death is not yet known. “The investigation concerning the cause of death has been ordered,” the director of the zoo, Sanjeet Kumar, told the BBC.

Shankar was one of the two African elephants who arrived in India in 1998 as a diplomatic gift from Zimbabwe to former president of India Shankar Dayal Sharma.

But Shankar’s companion died in 2001, Kumar said.

A former zoo official, who did not want to be identified, said that after the death of his companion, Shankar was temporarily deposited with the Asian elephants of the zoo, but the plan did not work.

“They were very aggressive towards each other,” he said, adding that Shankar was soon isolated.

“He (Shankar) was fun when his companion was there. They were popular among the visitors to the zoo. Shankar’s behavior changed after the death of the other African elephant. Shankar never accepted the elephant company, they did not accept Shankar either. He was left without friends,” said the former official.

In 2012, Shankar was moved to a new enclosure that practically left it to isolation – despite a 2009 federal ban to keep elephants alone for more than six months. He stayed there until his death.

For years, activists have required Shankar to be withdrawn from the zoo and rehabilitated in a wildlife sanctuary which houses other African elephants.

In 2021, a petition in front of the High Court of Delhi asked for the resettlement of Shankar in a sanctuary with other African elephants. Two years later, the court rejected the petition, ordering the petitioner to approach the committee Manage the transfers of wild animals by zoos.

Until Wednesday, Shankar was among the only two African elephants of Indian zoos. The other – also an adult man – lives at the MySore Zoo in the southern state of Karnataka.

Zoos have long had trouble finding friends for the two African elephants, with efforts blocked by high costs, regulatory obstacles, multiple approvals and well-being problems, Indian Express reported.

The activists also criticized the conditions under which Shankar was maintained at the zoo in Delhi, describing his enclosure as dark and inadequate.

“It is heartbreaking to see him die like that,” said Nikita Dhawan, founder of non -profit youth for animals, who had filed the court request in 2021. “It was easily avoidable. He (Shankar) had no serious health problems. And he was too young.”

The average life expectancy of African elephants is 70 years.

Mr. Kumar, director of the Delhi zoo, said that there was “no report of abnormal disease or behavior” in the case of Shankar until Wednesday morning.

The activist of animal welfare Gauri Maulekhi said that Shankar’s death reflects “years of institutional apathy and negligence” and described it as a systemic failure requiring responsibility.

“An internal investigation is simply not enough,” Ms. Maulekhi told the BBC. “It was a systemic failure which requires real responsibility and must serve as a moment of the watershed to put an end to the cruel practice of keeping elephants and other social animals isolated in our zoos for good.”

Asked about neglect allegations, Kumar said that “all care and interview were followed”, but refused to answer specific questions.

In October 2024, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, suspended the members of the Delhi zoo concerning the concerns concerning the living conditions of Shankar, following the information that he was chained, reported the PTI news agency.

The World Organization gave the Delhi Zoo until April 2025 to move Shankar or improve its care, warning that its members would be dismissed if the deadline was missed.

One day after the notice of suspension, a federal minister inspected the Shankar enclosure and said his health was better. On October 15, the government announced its intention to bring him a companion, saying that Zimbabwe and Botswana had shown in progress interests and formalities.

Delhi zoo officials said they had not received notifications from the world organization. And Shankar died before a companion could be organized.

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