Karachi, Apr 25 (PTI) Sri Lanka on Tuesday strongly rebutted media reports about gifting two elephants to Pakistan's Karachi and Lahore zoos after the tragic death of an elephant at the zoological gardens here.

Dismissing the media reports that Sri Lanka would gift two elephants to Pakistan, the Sri Lankan High Commission in Islamabad took to Twitter on Tuesday to say that no such request has been made so far.

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“Sri Lanka has not taken action or discussed providing Elephants to the Zoos in Karachi and Lahore, neither Government of Pakistan has made any such request,” the mission tweeted.

The news about the island nation sending elephants to Pakistan started making rounds soon after the ailing African elephant's death last week following a painful last few months at the Karachi Zoo.

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17-year-old elephant Nur Jehan underwent critical medical treatment under the supervision of international veterinarians earlier this month.

The conditions in which she passed away at the Karachi Zoo caught the world's attention as well as that of animal rights activists.

Four Paws, a global welfare animals organisation, sent a team to Karachi Zoo following an SOS from zoo officials after they failed to diagnose and treat Noor Jehan, who had been suffering for months and became so ill that she was unable to move.

Noor Jehan was one of four African elephants brought to Karachi in 2009.

While Noor Jehan and Madhubala were sent to the Karachi Zoo, Malik and Sonu were taken to the Safari Park.

The federal and Sindh governments are mulling the closure of the 145-year-old zoo after the ill-treatment of several animals there and the zoo administration's failure and incapacity to take care of the animals.

Pakistan's zoos are often accused of disregarding animal welfare.

In 2020, a Pakistani court ordered the closure of a zoo in Islamabad due to its deplorable state. PTI CORR GRS

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)