Anarkali, last elephant at city zoo, no more | Mumbai News

Mumbai: The last elephant housed at the city zoo, Anarkali, passed away on Nov 10, leaving the zoo without any elephants. The 58-year-old slumped suddenly on Nov 8 and died early morning two days later, due to cardiorespiratory failure, said authorities at Veer Mata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden & Zoo.
Staffers of the zoo tried to lift her with a crane and even tried to keep her standing with the help of the crane. However, even a day later, on Nov 9, she was unable to stand . During her autopsy, a 150kg tumour was found in the stomach area. Apart from her age, the tumour too may have contributed to her death, said officials.
Zoo authorities claimed that the Anarkali, one of the oldest residents of the zoo, had been brought to the city from a circus in Bihar in 1977 along with two other elephants — Laxmi and Radha.
Anarkali had a daily routine, which involved being taken to an open area that had soil, grass, and a pond, around 9.30 am. She would spend time there till 5.30 pm. She was then brought back to her shelter in the evening, said a zoo official.
“Though Anarkali was alone, we could not get a partner, nor could we shift her to another zoo, where she could find a partner or a companion, due to the Central Zoo Authority ruling that prohibited captive breeding and collection of elephants,” said the official.
“Anarkali was playful and responded to all enrichment activities, which stimulated the wild behaviour of the elephants. She loved rains; therefore, we created a shower for her and a big pond for her. During summer, we would leave some grass at a height to engage her. We had also created a wooden ball for Anarkali to play with. During the summers, we used to provide her with ice popsicles,” an official said.
Anarkali spent her last days alone after her companion, Laxmi, passed away due to a heart attack in 2020, while Rajkumar, a male elephant, was sent to a zoo in Kerala due to compatibility issues. Rajkumar was shifted following a high court order to find him a mate. About 20 years ago, elephant Radha passed away.