New home, new friends: ‘World’s loneliest elephant' Kaavan flies off to Cambodia today

ISLAMABAD: After living in Islamabad's Marghazar Zoo for 35 years, Pakistan’s only Asiatic elephant Kaavan is flying off to Cambodia in a jet today [Sunday].

According to the premier's aide on climate change Malik Amin Aslam, the animal is being sent to its permanent habitat in Cambodia to lead a 'cheerful' life. The climate change ministry issued a permit for Kaavan to fly out of the country.

Speaking to journalists, Malik Amin Aslam said that the animal is being taken to the Islamabad airport from the zoo. A special Russian jet has been arranged to transport the elephant.

A transport crate had also been built and the elephant had to be habituated to it for departure to the Cambodian wildlife sanctuary.

Commenting on the animal's departure, PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan said that Pakistanis are embarrassed for not taking care of Kaavan. 

"Prime Minister Imran Khan is the only lawmaker who has taken serious steps about climate and nature," Faisal Javed said. 

Kaavan was brought to Pakistan as a young calf from Sri Lanka after the country gifted the elephant to Pakistan 35 years ago. Another elephant had come with him but she died years ago.

Read more: Does freedom await Kaavan, ‘The world’s loneliest elephant?’

In 2002, zookeepers chained him over 'violent behaviour' but unchained him later that year. Activists dubbed him the “world’s loneliest elephant” after his plight gained international attention and the unhappy elephant was diagnosed as emotionally and physically unstable. Veterinarians also said that the animal was malnourished and overweight.

The Islamabad High Court in May ruled that the animals kept in Marghazar Zoo were living under cruel conditions and the zoo should be closed. In July, the court approved the plan to move Kaavan to Cambodia.

IHC verdict hailed

An International Animal Rights organisation named Non-Human Rights Project  (NhRP) had also hailed the IHC for its decision regarding the rescue of Kaavan elephant.

"After issuing a decision celebrated around the world that “without any hesitation” affirmed the rights of elephants and other nonhuman animals, the Islamabad High Court in Pakistan continues to pay close attention to and express support for the NhRP’s nonhuman rights cases, especially our litigation to #FreeHappy from the Bronx Zoo to a sanctuary," read a blog-post by the organisation.

The NhRP is the only civil rights organization in the US dedicated solely to securing rights for nonhuman animals.