The Delhi Zoo’s lone African elephant, Shankar, walked freely in his enclosure after being released from chains on Friday, the Ministry of Environment said. Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh had reviewed Shankar’s health and habitat conditions on Wednesday with officials from the Environment Ministry and experts from Vantara, the Jamnagar-based wildlife facility of the Reliance Group.

On Monday, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) had suspended the membership of the Delhi zoo due to concerns over Shankar’s welfare, as he had been living without a companion and “kept in chains”.