Kaavan – Pakistan’s last Asian Elephant has begun a new chapter of his life
The years’ long struggle to get Kaavan a proper home has come to fruition as he reached his new home in Cambodia after a long flight. He was accompanied by a number of doctors to ensure that he can be treated during the travel, if need be.
Arrival in Cambodia
Kaavan, the Asian elephant from the now-closed Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad, reached his sanctuary in Cambodia on a special chartered flight. He was placed in a specially designed crate for the long flight. The sanctuary homes three other elephants. Currently, Kaavan is 36-year-old.
The journey
The journey was a tricky one due to the weight and size of the elephant, who has some psychological problems as well. He was transported on a chartered flight in a Russian cargo airplane Ilyushin Il-76. The total flying time was 10 hours with in stopover in India for refueling. 200 kgs of food were made available to Kaavan for the journey and a tube was installed to pass up to 200 liters of urine during the journey.
Amir Khalil, one of the veterinarian from Four Paws who travelled with the elephant, said he acted calmly as if he was a frequent flier. The flight was, by and large, uneventful.
“He behaves like a frequent flier. The flight was uneventful, which is all you can ask for when you transfer an elephant,” Amir said.
The people behind the transfer
A number of people came together to get the elephant out of the zoo. These included NGOs like friends of Isloo Zoo, residents of Islamabad, the Islamabad city administration, and even the world-famous singer Cher. She recently came to Islamabad and also met Prime Minister Imran Khan to thank him for the relocation of Kaavan.
A legal battle was waged for the release of the elephant that was alone since 2012 after his female companion died. Islamabad High Court earlier in the year ordered the release of the elephant to a proper sanctuary. Owais Awan, one of the lawyers who are a part of the relocation project, said that Kaavan has become a symbol of hope.
“Kaavan has become a symbol of hope and freedom for the hundreds of captive elephants all around the world,” said Awan.
Four Paws, an animal rescue organization, also played a big role in rehabilitation as well as his transport. The doctors with the organization worked hard to improve the physical and mental health of Kaavan and also helped in arranging the transport. The cost of the travel was borne by donors including American businessman Eric S. Margolis, who paid half of the cost for the journey. He also paid for relocation of other animals.
Background on Kaavan
Kaavan was gifted to Pakistan by the Sri Lankan High Commission back in 1985 as a one-year-old elephant. He has developed health issues in recent years and was becoming aggressive. The loneliness was also becoming a huge problem. Given that the zoo did not have enough space for such a large animal, it was the only sensible move to relocate him to a more appropriate home.