An isolated elephant will finally be rejoining his own kind.
At the Murghazar Zoo in Islamabad lives a 33-year-old Asian elephant named Kaavan. Kaavan was given to the leader of Pakistan when he was only a year old as a gift from Sri Lanka, and has lived in captivity since. His only companionship was another elephant named Saheli, but since her death in 2012, Kaavan has been all alone, with no other elephants to socialize with. Animal rights activists, including pop singer Cher, have been fighting for this unfortunate creature for years, sending in petitions and advocating for his mental and emotional health. Thankfully, they finally got the word: Kaavan is going free.
Thanks to a ruling from the Pakistan High Court, Kaavan will officially be relocated from his spot at the Murghazar Zoo to a suitable elephant sanctuary where he can be with his own kind. “The pain and suffering of Kaavan must come to an end by relocating him to an appropriate elephant sanctuary,” the court’s ruling read.
The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) has created a committee to facilitate Kaavan’s relocation, with members including WWF senior director Rab Nawaz, biodiversity specialist Z.B. Mirza, an Islamabad Zoo veterinary officer, IUCN’s Nilanga Jaysinghe, and co-founder of Save the Elephant Foundation Derek Thompsan. The Murghazar Zoo will also be required to temporarily close and relocate the rest of its animals until the court deems its care standards to be sufficient. The relocated animals include birds, lions, and brown bears, among others.
Cher said when she received word that Kaavan would be set free, she and her animal rights associates were overjoyed. “It’s so emotional for us that I have to sit down,” she wrote.