As Shankar, an African jumbo living all alone for the last two decades in Delhi Zoo, cannot be released in the wild, the focus will be on its behavioural and environmental enrichment to ensure it did not feel lonely and is stress-free.
Efforts will also be made to bring two female elephants from Africa to give company to Shankar in the zoo.
These are the recommendations of a three-member panel set up by the Union Environment Ministry which will soon submit the report to the Delhi High Court.
The panel was set up at the direction of the court which had taken cognizance of Shankar’s loneliness last year following a petition by a school student. The tusker had arrived in India in 1998, as a diplomatic gift from Zimbabwe to President Shankar Dayal Sharma.“The report will soon be submitted to the Court,” said sources in the Ministry. The committee, which is represented by an official from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and Project Elephant in the Ministry, has completely ruled out the option to release the animal in the wild as it has lived in the enclosure throughout its life. “It will have survival issues in the wild. Moreover, since it is of African origin it will have to compete with the Asian elephant in its Indian habitat, said the sources. Stating that two female elephants of African origin will be brought from Shankar’s original home, the panel has enlisted several ways to ensure animal enrichment.
“It means providing mental and physical stimulation for our animals – opportunities for them to increase their activity, stimulate their brains, promote positive social interaction, and encourage natural behaviors,” explained the sources.
For instance, mud baths are an all-time favorite of pachyderms. Elephants in captivity also enjoy mud baths and can be seen giving their friends a helpful shove and rolling around to play in the mud.The report prepared by the panel has highlighted the importance of behavioural enrichment, particularly in elephants in which boredom soon leads to social tension, aggression and abnormal behaviour.
In fact, according to vet experts, even zoo visitors can easily recognize if an elephant is bored and has not got enough to do: The elephant is observed to be “weaving”, i.e. it stays in one place while slowly moving its head from side to side.
Unfortunately, even elephant keepers who are highly committed and imaginative in their efforts to keep their elephant group occupied may not be able to completely prevent such stereotypical behaviour, they said.
Thus, behavioural and environmental enrichment is an important component of modern elephant keeping. Every enrichment programme includes daily hygiene and routine training sessions. In addition, elephants must be allowed to spend a lot of time in their outdoor enclosure. It must be designed to be both comfortable and environmentally enriching, the report has suggested.
Scratching trees and mud pools are necessary for hygiene purposes, but at the same time, they are also a way to keep the elephants active. However, more outdoor activities need to be introduced to keep the elephants busy over a longer period of time, it said, according to the sources.
Another way of keeping zoo elephants busy is by allowing them to spend plenty of time searching for food and preparing it for eating as well giving them appropriate toys, suggested the panel, as per the sources.
