Kaavan's Rescue Journey from Pakistan to Cambodia
Animal Stories from All-Creatures.org

FROM FourPaws
March 2021

For over three decades, Pakistan's only Asian elephant had been confined to an inadequate enclosure of the Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan. Chained in isolation and poor condition, Kaavan became the worlds loneliest elephant.

[Please see animated video: Kahani Meri - The Story of Kaavan on youtube.]

Kaavan Asian Elephant

Our heaviest rescue to date – after years of isolation for the Asian elephant Kaavan, his loneliness finally ends!

For over three decades, Pakistan's only Asian elephant had been confined to an inadequate enclosure of the Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan. At just a year old, he was gifted from the Sri Lankan government, to the government of Pakistan in 1985 in order to build relations between the two countries. At six years old, Kaavan was joined by a mate, elephant Saheli from Bangladesh. The two elephants spent the next 22 years together, until tragically, Saheli developed an infection from the cuts caused by her chains and died in 2012.

Deeply affected by the death of his life companion, Kaavan showed signs of stress and aggression and caretakers of the zoo struggled to keep the large elephant under control. Chained in isolation and poor condition, Kaavan became the worlds loneliest elephant.

However, whilst Kaavan was isolated and suffering, a student in Pakistan, Dr Samar Khan, heard about the elephant and was joined by a large community of Pakistani's to share his plight, which triggered what began a long fight to free him from his misery!

American superstar, Cher and her organisation, Free The Wild, began campaigning to help Kaavan. Finally, in 2020, the Islamabad High Court issued a decision for the immediate relocation of all the animals, FOUR PAWS was asked to step in.

 

Please read the ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE (PDF)

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