Animal welfare groups across India are mourning Shankar, Delhi Zoo’s lone African elephant, whose death has renewed outrage over his years of isolation.
The 29-year-old male collapsed on Wednesday evening after refusing food earlier in the day. Despite veterinary intervention, he died within 40 minutes. Zoo director Sanjeet Kumar confirmed an investigation into the cause of death, saying there had been “no report of sickness or abnormal behaviour” that morning.
Shankar arrived in India in 1998 as part of a diplomatic gift from Zimbabwe to then-president Shankar Dayal Sharma. His companion died just three years later, and attempts to integrate him with Asian elephants at the zoo failed amid aggressive behaviour. By 2012, he had been moved to a separate enclosure—leaving him virtually in solitary confinement for over a decade, despite a federal ban on housing elephants alone for more than six months.
Activists had long campaigned for Shankar’s relocation to a sanctuary with other African elephants. A 2021 petition to Delhi’s high court was dismissed two years later, and bureaucratic delays and costs hampered efforts to find him a companion. Until this week, Shankar was one of only two African elephants in Indian zoos—the other remains at Mysore Zoo.
His treatment drew international scrutiny. In October 2024, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums suspended Delhi Zoo’s membership over his conditions, giving officials until April 2025 to improve his care or relocate him. Plans to bring a female companion were announced last October, but negotiations with Zimbabwe and Botswana had not concluded before his death.
“It’s heartbreaking to see him die like this,” said Nikita Dhawan of Youth For Animals, who led the court petition. “He had no serious health problems. He was too young.” African elephants can live up to 70 years in the wild.
Animal welfare advocate Gauri Maulekhi called Shankar’s death “a systemic failure that demands real accountability,” saying years of neglect and institutional apathy had led to a preventable tragedy.
The case has sparked renewed calls for India to rethink how its zoos care for highly social species—particularly elephants, whose well-being depends on companionship and space. For many in Delhi, Shankar’s passing is both a personal loss and a reminder of the urgent need for reform in captive animal welfare.
Leave a Reply