Tag: Kavaan

  • 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.”

  • American singer Cher thanks Pakistani govt for freeing lonely elephant Kaavan

    American singer Cher thanks Pakistani govt for freeing lonely elephant Kaavan

    The Islamabad High Court has ordered the Islamabad Zoo to move all animals, including their famed elephant Kaavan, to an animal sanctuary within 30 days because it lacks the basic facilities for their proper care and upkeep.

    https://twitter.com/IsbZooFriends/status/1263420894866821120?s=20

    In a judgement, they ordered wildlife officials to consult with Sri Lanka to find Kaavan a “suitable sanctuary” within 30 days.

    The condition and treatment of Kaavan, an Asian elephant from Sri Lanka, who had spent nearly three decades without a female partner in a small cage in the zoo had gathered international outrage several years ago.

    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.

    Apart from not having a partner, activists said he had insufficient shelter from Islamabad’s searing summer temperatures, which can rise to above 40 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit).

    Asian elephants can roam thousands of kilometres through deep tropical and subtropical forests, according to the World Wildlife Fund. In contrast, Kaavan’s 90 by 140 metre (100 by 150 yard) pen had almost no foliage, and only limited shade was provided.

    Read more – Leopard spotted near Islamabad’s hiking trails

    It was also reported that food which was meant for Kaavan was being stolen by his caretakers. Last year, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry had also alleged that chickens meant to feed lions at the zoo were being cooked in the home of the zoo director.

    Arriving 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, but he was freed later that year after an outcry.

    His mate Saheli, who arrived also from Sri Lanka in 1990, died in 2012, and in 2015 it emerged that Kaavan was regularly being chained once more — for several hours a day.

    Kavaan’s misery caught the attention of American music icon and actor, Cher, who had long propagated for his release. After the news of Kavaan’s release emerged, she took to social media to express her joy and thank the Government of Pakistan.

    Cher also referred to this as “one of the greatest moments of her life”.

    IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, during the hearings, had blasted the Marghazar Zoo for lack of necessities and has asked that all the animals be moved to an animal sanctuary. The Islamabad Zoo will be allowed to keep animals only after they are capable of providing physical, psychological and emotional needs to the animals.