Kaavan

Kaavan (Urdu: کاون‎; born 1985) is a male Asian elephant known as the 'world's loneliest elephant' after his partner Saheli died in 2012.[1] Kaavan was gifted by the government of Sri Lanka to Pakistan in 1985 as a result of the positive relationship between the two countries. He remained at the Islamabad Zoo until November 2020, when he was moved to a sanctuary in Cambodia[2] in response to a campaign launched by local and international animal rights activists led by American singer Cher.[3][4]

Kaavan
SpeciesAsian elephant
SexMale
Born1985
Sri Lanka
Years active1985–2020 in Pakistan
Known forLengthy captivity and eventual relocation after international campaign

In May 2020, the Islamabad High Court ordered Kaavan to be released.[5]

Biography

Kaavan was born in Sri Lanka in 1985 and upon his birth, the Sri Lankan government gifted him to then-president of Pakistan Zia-ul-Haq.[6] The elephant was kept at the Islamabad Zoo and remained as the only Asian elephant living in Pakistan.[7] An elephant named Saheli was brought from Bangladesh in 1990 and remained as Kaavan's partner until her death in 2012.[1]

Campaign to free Kaavan

In 2015, Samar Khan, a local student from Islamabad, started an online petition at Change.org demanding Kaavan's release. It was signed by many people and the matter gained international prominence. The petition was reportedly sent to zoo authorities and to then-Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif.[5]

In September 2016, a news report highlighted the dire condition in which Kaavan was living, including being bound in chains for over two decades.[8] The zoo consequently decided to send the elephant to Cambodia.[9] In the same month, pictures of Kaavan living alone and in chains went viral on the internet and caught the attention of popular American pop singer Cher,[10] who initiated a campaign called #SaveKavaan on social media to relocate the pachyderm.[11] Another petition also circulated in 2016 and it was supported by over 200,000 people.[12] The campaign also reported that the elephant was locked up in a small enclosure without adequate breathing space and with only a small pool of water in usual 40 °C summer temperatures.[13]

Court case

On 21 May 2020, the Islamabad High Court took up the case during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan and handed down the verdict that Kaavan should be freed.[14] It ordered wildlife officials to consult with Sri Lankan authorities to find a suitable sanctuary for Kaavan in another country within 30 days.[15][16] The court also criticised the zoo officials for failing to meet the animal's needs in terms of the violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1890 and Wildlife Ordinance of 1979.[17]

Cher thanked the Islamabad High Court and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for the verdict.[18][19] She tweeted that "We have just heard from the Pakistan High Court that Kaavan is Free. This is the Greatest moment of my life".[20][21]

Relocation to Cambodia

On 17 July 2020, Free the Wild announced that the Pakistan Government had ruled that FTW had their consent to relocate Kaavan to Lek's sanctuary in Cambodia—"A place we have personally visited and vetted and are delighted for Kaavan to call home".[22] From September to November 2020, veterinarian Amir Khalil from the animal welfare organisation Four Paws, with the support of journalist and businessman Eric Margolis, singer Cher,[23] and Dr Frank Goeritz from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), examined[24] and approved Kaavan for relocation to the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary.[25]

Cher arrived in Pakistan to bid farewell to Kaavan and a ceremony was also organized at Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad, which was attended by officials, activists, and members of the public.[26] The President of Pakistan, Arif Alvi, and First Lady Sameena Alvi, along with various ministers and delegates, also bid the elephant farewell.[27] The move was completed on 30 November 2020.[28]

References
  1. "'World's loneliest elephant' heads to Cambodia". The Express Tribune. 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  2. AFP (2020-11-29). "'Loneliest' elephant Kaavan set to leave for Cambodian sanctuary". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  3. "Freedom for Kaavan". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2020-05-25.<nowiki>
  4. "Pakistan to free elephant Kaavan after campaign by US singer Cher". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  5. Ebrahim, Zofeen T. (2020-08-12). "Release of Kaavan the elephant reignites zoo debate in Pakistan". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  6. "Kaavan the Elephant Has Been in a Pakistani Zoo Since 1985 – Now He Has a Chance to Get Out". One Green Planet. 2017-06-12. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  7. "Last elephant standing". Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  8. "Islamabad zoo | Pakistan Today". Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  9. "Islamabad: Zoo authorities suggest to send Kaavan to Cambodia - Pakistan". Dunya News. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  10. Abbasi, Kashif (2016-06-17). "American singer Cher checks up on Kaavan, her adopted elephant in Islamabad". Images. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  11. "Help Free Kaavan, the Sick Zoo Elephant Who's Been Alone in Chains For 28 Years!". One Green Planet. 2015-11-12. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  12. Ahmedabad Mirror (2016-07-08). "Kaavan, Pakistan's lonely elephant". ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  13. "Lonely Sri Lankan Elephant Kaavan, to be released from Islamabad zoo under court order". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 2020-05-23. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  14. "All is set to fly Elephant Kaavan back to Cambodia by the end of this month". Dispatch News Desk. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  15. Iqbal, Nasir (2020-05-22). "IHC wants Kaavan to be relocated to appropriate sanctuary". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  16. NEWSWIRE), The Nonhuman Rights Project (GLOBE. "Islamabad High Court Recognizes the Rights of Nonhuman Animals". TylerPaper.com. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  17. Editorial (2020-05-24). "Saving the elephant". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  18. correspondent, Hannah Ellis-Petersen South Asia (2020-05-22). "Cher sheds tears of joy as Pakistan's loneliest elephant wins freedom". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  19. Post, The Jakarta. "Cher tweets joy as Pakistan agrees to free lonely elephant Kaavan". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  20. "Sri Lanka : Cher thanks Pakistan for freeing the lonely Sri Lankan elephant Kavan". www.colombopage.com. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  21. "Cher overjoyed as Pakistan agrees to free lonely elephant Kaavan". South China Morning Post. 2020-05-22. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  22. "Kaavan Set To Retire To Cambodian Elephant Sanctuary". freethewild.org. 2020-07-17.
  23. Cher — yes, Cher — helps a captive elephant find a new home in Cambodiae vom 26. November 2020 in Latimes.com
  24. With songs and sedation, experts aim to rescue Kaavan the Islamabad elephant retrieved on 8. September 2020 in Reuters.com
  25. Pakistan animal lovers prepare to say goodbye to Asian elephant Kaavan from 13. October 2020 in Gulfnews.com
  26. "How Kaavan attained freedom after 35 years". The Express Tribune. 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  27. "President, first lady bid adieu to Kaavan leaving for Cambodia on Nov 29". Associated Press Of Pakistan. 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  28. "'World's loneliest elephant' Kavaan arrives in Cambodia with help from Cher". NBC News. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-01 – via Associated Press.
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