After 13-years of solitary confinement, African elephant Shankar dies at Delhi zoo

Shankar, around 30-year-old African elephant, who had lived at the National Zoological Park (Delhi Zoo) for close to three decades, died suddenly on Wednesday night, officials said. The zoo authorities have ordered an official inquiry into the cause of his death.

The zoo authorities confirmed that Shankar collapsed inside his shed around 7.25 pm on September 17. Despite receiving emergency treatment by the veterinary team of the National Zoological Park (NZP), he died around 8 pm.

“On the morning of September 17, the elephant was reportedly eating less leaves and grasses offered with slight loose motion, but taking the concentrate, fruits and vegetables normally. Shankar was given treatment by the NZP veterinary team and kept under observation of the animal keeping staff. Around 7.25 pm, Shankar suddenly fell down in his shed. During emergency treatment he died,” zoo director Sanjeet Kumar said in a statement.

There were no reports of sickness or abnormal behaviour of Shankar till September 16, he said.

As per zoo officials, a post-mortem examination of Shankar would be conducted by experts from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, along with members of the zoo’s health advisory committee and representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Samples would be taken for further investigation, after which the carcass would be disposed of as per procedure, officials said.

Shankar’s sudden death comes against the backdrop of years of debate over his treatment and welfare at the Delhi Zoo. Brought from Zimbabwe in 1998 as a diplomatic gift to then President of India Shankar Dayal Sharma, Shankar arrived with a female companion, Bombai. Within two years, Bombai died, leaving Shankar alone.

Over time, he was housed alongside Asian elephants at the zoo, but they, too, were moved away.

Since 2012, he had lived in solitary confinement — despite Central Zoo Authority guidelines that prohibit elephants from being kept alone.

In 2022, teenager and animal rights activist Nikita Dhawan filed a petition in the Delhi High Court demanding that the zoo either find Shankar a mate or release him into a sanctuary. The court, however, faced jurisdictional hurdles since Shankar, being an African elephant and an exotic species in India, could not be released into the wild here.

In October 2024, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) suspended Delhi Zoo’s membership citing Shankar’s mistreatment. Following this, veterinarians from Reliance’s Vantara Zoo were sent to examine his health. Zimbabwe and Botswana also offered to send a female African elephant as a companion, but no follow-up action was announced by the Delhi Zoo authorities.

Shankar’s death is the latest setback for the National Zoological Park, which has been grappling with animal welfare challenges. Barely a month ago, four of the five newly-born tiger cubs died from infections. In August this year, an outbreak of avian influenza claimed lives of several birds, including a Schedule I protected Painted Stork. As of now, the zoo remains closed to visitors as a precautionary measure.