Cambodia
After eight long years, the “world’s loneliest elephant” Kaavan has finally made contact with another of his species, international media reports confirmed.
The worldwide famous elephant was shifted a day earlier from the Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad to a sanctuary in Cambodia after international animal rights activists and popular singer Cher campaigned for him to be transferred to a better environment.
Kaavan has never interacted with any of his kind since 2012 when his partner passed away in Islamabad.
In a picture released on social media, Kaavan can be seen making contact with another elephant with his trunk. The 36-year-old, 9,000lb elephant was welcomed with open arms in Cambodia when his plane landed.
One Kaavan’s metal crate in which he travelled from Pakistan to Cambodia was on-board, he enjoyed 440lbs of in-flight snacks.
Vet Amir Khalil, who accompanied Kaavan on the trip, said he was not stressed during the flight and spent most of it eating and sleeping.
“He behaves like a frequent flier. The flight was uneventful, which is all you can ask for when you transfer an elephant,” the vet hadsaid.
The elephants had been coached by vets and experts for nearly three months on how to enter the metal crate in which he travelled. This was done so Kaavan became familiar with the crate and wasn’t distressed during when the time came for him to fly to the Cambodian sanctuary.
Kaavan was gifted by the government of Sri Lanka to Pakistan in 1985. The elephant that came with him died in 2012, leaving him all alone.
Kaavan was chained over ‘“violent behaviour” in 2002. Activists dubbed him the “world’s loneliest elephant” after his plight gained international attention and the elephant was diagnosed as emotionally and physically unstable.
He was later unchained the same year, with activists calling for his release from the zoo in Pakistan. Veterinarians had also said that the animal was malnourished and overweight.—AP
