Tag: Kaavan

  • You will never guess Kaavan’s favourite song

    You will never guess Kaavan’s favourite song

    Who knew Kaavan would be a music fan? That too of Frank Sinatra.

    Latest reports coming out of Islamabad Zoo have revealed that Kaavan is not only a fan of Sinatra, but his music calms him down.

    Vet Amir Khalil, who has been tasked with assessing whether Kaavan can be moved from poor conditions in a zoo in Pakistan’s capital to a sanctuary in Cambodia, has shared that when he arrived in Pakistan, he started to train the elephant by singing to him.

    “When we arrived 10 days ago … I started to train him and to sing to him and he accommodated me so we have a relationship,” he said, adding he chose Sinatra’s hit My Way. Francis Albert Sinatra was an American singer and actor, who was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide.

    36-year-old Kaavan is being relocated to a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia for retirement after the Islamabad High Court ruled that the Margazhar Zoo in Islamabad is not fit for the animals. Kaavan has spent most of his life in a small enclosure with meager shelter, and the last eight years alone after his companion elephant died. The court decision came after a four-year global campaign, backed by American singer Cher.

    Read more – Cher thanks PM Khan for ‘making her dream come true’

    Earlier, Adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam had said authorities would “ensure that he lives a happy life”.

    “We are bidding Kaavan farewell with a heavy heart. It is a sad decision,” he had said, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan was also concerned about Kaavan’s well-being.

    Plans to relocate the animal are underway though it is no easy feat.

    Four Paws experts, who will be assisting in the relocation, fired darts with a sedative so they could give the sleepy animal a comprehensive checkup.

    As Kaavan woke up to eat some apples, Four Paws elephant specialist Frank Goeritz analysed his blood samples. Though it will be a few days before he files a formal report, Goeritz said despite Kaavan being obese, unhappy and having malformed nails that put him at risk of serious infection, the outlook was hopeful.

    “Let’s wait until we have all the results, but so far I don’t see a big problem with him traveling … he is facing a good life.”

  • Kaavan to be relocated to Cambodia

    Kaavan to be relocated to Cambodia

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday approved the relocation of Islamabad Zoo’s lone elephant Kaavan to Cambodia. The court had ordered Kaavan’s freedom in May and instructed wildlife officials to find him a “suitable sanctuary”.

    According to AFP, Adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said authorities would “ensure that he lives a happy life”. He revealed that a team from Cambodia is coming over to take the 36-year-old elephant with them.

    “We are bidding Kaavan farewell with a heavy heart. It is a sad decision,” he said.

    Amin also shared that he had discussed Kaavan’s plight with Prime Minister Imran Khan and it had been decided that a safari zoo will be built in Islamabad.

    Authorities told the court that an expert committee had recommended he be moved to a 25,000-acre wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia for retirement.

    Kaavan was kept in chains at Islamabad Zoo and exhibited symptoms of mental illness, prompting global outrage over his treatment and a petition demanding his release that garnered over 400,000 signatures.

    Though zoo officials have denied this and claimed that he was pining for a new mate after his partner died in 2012, Kaavan’s behaviour — including signs of distress such as bobbing his head repeatedly — demonstrated “a kind of mental illness”.

    Activists also said Kaavan was not properly sheltered from Islamabad’s searing summer temperatures, which can rise above 40 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit).

    Kaavan’s plight drew the attention of Cher, who spent years calling for his freedom.

    She tweeted in May that the court’s decision to order his release was “one of the greatest moments of my life”.

    Read more – Cher thanks PM Khan for ‘making her dream come true’

    Arriving in Pakistan as a one-year-old in 1985 from Sri Lanka, Kaavan was temporarily held in chains in 2002 because zookeepers were concerned about increasingly violent tendencies. He was freed later that year after an outcry but it emerged in 2015 that he was once more being regularly chained for several hours each day.

    The court’s May ruling also ordered dozens of other animals — including brown bears, lions and birds — to be relocated temporarily till the zoo improves its standards.

  • Cher thanks PM Khan for ‘making her dream come true’

    Cher thanks PM Khan for ‘making her dream come true’

    Following the landmark judgement which directed the Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad to shift all animals, including Kaavan the elephant to wildlife sanctuaries, American pop singer Cher took to social media to thank Prime Minister Imran Khan for “making her dream come true”. Cher added that she was always a big fan of PM Khan since his cricketing days.

    In a series of tweets, the singer not only thanked PM Khan but also various ministers for their efforts.

    Late last month, the Islamabad High Court, had ordered wildlife officials to consult with Sri Lanka to find Kaavan a “suitable sanctuary” within 30 days.

    Kaavan, an Asian elephant from Sri Lanka, has spent nearly three decades in a small cage in the zoo. His treatment and condition sparked international outrage several years ago and caught the attention of Cher, who then propagated for his release. The elephant’s behaviour, including bobbing his head repeatedly, demonstrated “a kind of mental illness” and wildlife experts were of the opinion that he was depressed.

    It is pertinent to add here that PM Khan had also raised his voice for Kaavan back in 2015 and had said that the animal belonged in “a proper sanctuary, not ill-equipped Islamabad Zoo”.