The lonely life and death of Delhi’s only African elephant

Activists for human animal welfare in India have mourned the death of a very beloved elephant, which have long been striving to rehabilitate.

Shankar, the lonely African elephant at the Delhi Zoo, who spent much of his life in isolation, refused food on Wednesday and collapsed to the evening. Despite the veterinary efforts, the 29-year-old man died within 40 minutes, employees said.

For 24 years, Shankar has endured a lonely existence – including at least 13, spent in solitude.

The cause of his death is not yet known. “The investigation into the cause of the death has been ordered,” Zoo Director Sandzit Kumar told the BBC.

Shankar was among two African elephants who arrived in India in 1998 as a diplomatic gift from Zimbabwe to former India President Shankar Dale Sharma.

But Shankar’s satellite died in 2001, said G -n Kumar.

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

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

“He (Shankar) was playful when his companion was there. They were popular with zoo visitors. Shankar’s behavior changed after the other African elephant died.

In 2012, Shankar was moved to a new enclosure, which left him practically alone – despite the federal ban on the federal in 2009 to maintain elephants only more than six months. He stayed there until his death.

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

In 2021 he wants a petition in Delhi Supreme Court Shifter to a sanctuary with other African elephants. Two years later, the court rejected the application, directing the petitioner to contact the committee processing wildlife transfers from zoos.

By Wednesday, Shankar was among the only two African elephants in zoos in India. The other – also an elderly man – lives in the Mysore zoo in the southern state of Karnataka.

Zoos have long been struggling to find friends for the two African male elephants, with effort stopped by high costs, regulatory obstacles, multiple approvals and problems with well -being, Indian Express reportedS

Activists also criticized the conditions under which Shankar was kept at the Delhi Zoo, describing his enclosure as gloomy and insufficient.

“It’s heartfelt to see him like that,” says Nikita Dhawan, the founder of a non -profit animal youth who filed a court request in 2021. “It was easily prevented. He (Shankar) had no serious health problems. And he was too young.”

The average life expectancy of African elephants is 70 yearsS

D -Kumar, the Delhi Zoo Director, said he had no “disease or abnormal behavior report” in the case of Shankar until Wednesday morning.

The activist of the welfare of animals, Gauri Mouleki, said that Shankar’s death reflects “years of institutional apathy and neglect” and called it a systemic failure requiring accountability.

“The internal request is just not enough,” G -Maulie said to the BBC. “It was a systemic failure that requires real accountability and must serve as a catchment moment in order to end the brutal practice of maintaining elephants and other social animals isolated in our zoos for good.”

Asked about the allegations of neglect, D -n Kumar said that “all care and maintenance were respected”, but refused to take on specific questions.

In October 2024, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums terminated Delhi’s membership at the zoo over fears about the living conditions of Shankar, after reports that he had been chained, PTI reports.

The global authority gave Delhi Zoo to April 2025 to move Shankar or improve his care, warning that his membership would be terminated if the deadline was missed.

The day after the stop notice, the Federal Minister inspects Shankar’s enclosure and said his health seemed better. On October 15, the government announced plans to bring him a satellite, saying that Zimbabwe and Botswana had shown interest and formalities were underway.

Officials at the Delhi Zoo said they were not receiving any more notifications from the global body. And Shankar died before a satellite could be agreed.

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