Kaavan, once dubbed the world's loneliest elephant, has arrived in Cambodia after being rescued from a life of misery in a Pakistani zoo. The overweight elephant spent 35 years in a barren, substandard enclosure in Islamabad's Marghazar Zoo, living in isolation after his mate died in 2012.
Among those who welcomed Kaavan was pop star Cher, who paid for a legal team to fight for his release. 'I'm so happy and I am so proud he is here,' Cher told AFP at Siem Reap airport. 'He's a wonderful, wonderful animal.'
In Cambodia, Kaavan will live in a wildlife sanctuary and roam in open space with a large herd of other elephants. Cambodian deputy environment minister Neth Pheaktra said the country was 'pleased to welcome Kaavan' and expressed hopes to breed him with local elephants to conserve the genetic fold.
Dr Amir Khalil, a vet from animal welfare group Four Paws International (FPI), said Kaavan behaved 'like a frequent flyer' on the journey from Pakistan, eating and sleeping a little during the flight. Before the last leg to the sanctuary, Buddhist monks gave him bananas and watermelon, chanting prayers and sprinkling holy water on his crate.
Kaavan's release follows years of campaigning by activists from FPI and Cher, who co-founded the wildlife protection charity Free the Wild. A court issued an order freeing him in May, which Cher called one of the 'greatest moments' of her life. The zoo was later ordered to close for good.
