Down To Earth found Shankar, the lone African elephant in Delhi Zoo, alone in his enclosure on August 12, which marks World Elephant Day.
Shankar was gifted to Indian president, Shankar Dayal Sharma in 1996 and arrived at the zoo in 1998 with a female companion named Vimbai. After Vimbai’s death in 2001, Shankar lived in isolation.
Shankar experienced musth, a state where testosterone increases naturally in male elephants during these periods of isolation. It led to an increase in aggressive behaviour and resulted in him charging, breaking walls, and injuring himself and others.
This resulted in the zoo management keeping Shankar in chains for some time. His living conditions led to Delhi Zoo’s suspension from the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) for a period of six months.
Shankar’s plight was highlighted in media reports, leading to an outpouring of sympathy for him. Union minister Kirti Vardhan Singh visited him last October and there was also talk of getting two female African elephants to be his companions.
But as can be seen in these photos, Shankar is currently alone.