Zubair Qureshi
A 3.6-metre high, 2.5-metre wide, 6.5-metre long and 6.37 tons heavy crate arrived in Murghazar Zoo of Islamabad on Friday for training purpose of the lone Asian elephant Kaavan who is set for travel to Cambodia later this month.
Director of Project of the Four Paws International Dr Amir Khalil assisted by his team of vets and experts personally supervised the shifting of the crate from Rawat to the zoo. A large number of the workers and staff members of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) were present at the zoo to ensure the crate is smoothly placed in the animal’s enclosure.
Everyone in the zoo, an army of cameramen, workers of the local company that brought the truck-like crate to the zoo were excited to see the task accomplished in a peaceful manner.
This however didn’t go well with Kaavan as the animal as the sole master of his enclosure was not ready to accept an intruder in his ‘kingdom’ though the local artists tried their best to give the crate a ‘cool’ look.
While talking to Pakistan Observer, an assistant of Dr Amir Khalil said Kaavan has damaged the door of the crate and pushed the thing repeatedly making a wild effort to bring it to the ground.
Kaavan being almost equally heavy, 5.5 tons, will be trained to get into the crate, enter and exit two times daily so that in the end at the time of departure he may not agitate being shut into the crate and shifted first to the airport and then to Cambodia.
On Friday, Ambassador of Austria Nicolas Keller and his spouse Ursula Keller arrived at the zoo to watch the work of the Four Paws team lead member Dr Amir from close quarters.
They found it quite interesting and appealing how the Austrian vet has established a bond of friendship with an animal that was once considered ‘killer” elephant. We cannot help appreciating the amazing work of Dr Amir and his team and wish the task [of relocation of Kaavan to Cambodia] will be completed without any problem, said Ambassador Keller.
