Farewell Anarkali, Byculla zoo’s last gentle giant

Mumbai: Byculla Zoo has said goodbye to Anarkali, its last elephant. She passed away at 59 years old on November 10. With her passing, there are no more elephants at the iconic Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan due to a central government ban on keeping elephants. An official confirmed that they can’t bring in another elephant because of these regulations. The area where Anarkali lived will be used for a different species as part of the zoo’s expansion plans.

Anarkali was rescued from a circus back in 1977 when she was just 12. She came to Byculla with other elephants, including her close friend Laxmi. They quickly became favorites among visitors, especially school kids who loved watching their playful antics. Anarkali and Laxmi used to give joyrides until protests from animal activists put a stop to that in 1992. Abhishek Satam, a biologist and education officer, mentioned that Anarkali remained playful and loved by her caretakers until the end.

Officials say Anarkali died from complications related to old age. A post-mortem revealed a stomach tumor that likely affected her health. Despite her struggles, she stayed calm, according to her caretakers. Anarkali’s death follows that of Laxmi, who passed away in 2020 at around 64 due to heart failure. Their bond was so strong that Anarkali mourned Laxmi deeply, refusing to eat for days after her friend’s death.

The history of elephants at Byculla goes back many years. Initially, five elephants lived at the zoo, including Radha, Laxmi, and Anarkali. There was also a male elephant who was moved to Thiruvananthapuram after showing aggression, and another female named Champakali. Radha died of tuberculosis in 2005, leaving Anarkali and Laxmi as a close pair until Laxmi’s passing.

Dr. Sanjay Tripathi, the zoo’s director, noted that elephants in captivity usually live around 62 to 65 years. He said Anarkali was calm and listened well to her mahouts. She will be missed dearly. Anarkali was laid to rest on the zoo grounds with all the proper rituals, close to her dear friend Laxmi.

In other news, the Byculla zoo will remain open on Christmas this year, even though it’s usually closed on Wednesdays. The civic body announced this to allow more visitors during the holiday. If a public holiday falls on a Wednesday, the zoo will stay open that day and close the following day instead.