Mumbai: Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Vanaspati Udyan at Byculla in South Mumbai lost Anarkali, a 59-year-old elephant, on November 10, ending its tryst with gentle pachyderms. With her death, there will be no more elephants at the iconic Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, in coherence with a central government ban on the intake and housing of elephants.
According to an official, the central government regulations prohibit another elephant at zoos. As part of the zoo’s expansion plans, the enclosure that housed Anarkali will be used for another species. Rescued from a circus in 1977, Anarkali arrived at the Byculla at the age of 12 along with several other elephants, including her long-time companion, Laxmi.
The duo quickly got close, drawing countless visitors and schoolchildren eager to see their playful interactions. Always playful and responsive to her mahout and caretakers, she continued to be one of the crowd-pullers until her demise. She died of old age complications, zoo authorities said. The elephant was not keeping well for some time but despite her condition, Anarkali maintained composure, according to zoo officials.
Anarkali’s passing came after the death of her companion Laxmi in 2020. Laxmi, who was aged around 64, died of chronic heart failure due to old age. Byculla's tryst with elephants goes back several decades. Five elephants were housed at Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, three female elephants named Radha, Laxmi, and Anarkali. There was a male elephant that was later shifted to Thiruvananthapuram.
There was another female elephant at that time called Champakali. Radha succumbed to tuberculosis in 2005, leaving Anarkali and Laxmi to form a close-knit pair until Laxmi died in 2020. According to experts, elephants in captivity usually live till 62 to 65 years. Anarkali was buried on the premises with all the rituals, near her old friend and companion Laxmi.
