Global body suspends Delhi zoo membership amid concern over African elephant's welfare

New Delhi: A global alliance of zoos and aquariums on Monday suspended the membership of Delhi's National Zoological Park due to concerns over the treatment of an African elephant, Shankar, who was reportedly kept in chains.

Delhi Zoo Director Sanjeet Kumar said the zoo will respond to the suspension.

Zimbabwe had gifted the elephant to the then President of India Shankar Dayal Sharma in 1996. It was brought to India and kept in the Delhi zoo.

Shankar has been alone after his companion, another African elephant named Bambai, died in 2005.

In a letter to Kumar and the Central Zoo Authority under the Union environment ministry, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) said it had previously requested information from them regarding the elephant's welfare and received replies on May 24 and July 24.

"Following a thorough review of this case, the WAZA Council has voted to immediately suspend the WAZA membership of the National Zoological Park, New Delhi," said the letter which was accessed by PTI.

WAZA said that to lift the suspension, the zoo must create a plan within six months to either relocate Shankar to a new facility or comprehensively address all concerns regarding his management and care.

This plan must be approved by WAZA and show significant improvement in Shankar's welfare, it said.

If relocation is chosen, Shankar should be trained for the move using positive reinforcement techniques to minimise stress and ensure a smooth transition, WAZA said.

The letter warned that the zoo's membership will be permanently terminated if it does not have a WAZA-approved plan in place to relocate Shankar or address the concerns by April 7, 2025.

During the suspension, the zoo will lose all WAZA membership rights and benefits, such as attending conferences and participating in committees.

The letter said that the zoo has the option to appeal this decision by writing to the WAZA president within 60 days, but the suspension will remain in place during the appeal process.

Founded in 1935, WAZA promotes high standards of welfare of animals and their habitats around the world. Nearly 400 leading institutions and organisations are its members.