The “world’s loneliest elephant,” Kaavan, has finally received medical clearance to relocate to a peaceful, friendly sanctuary after languishing in a Pakistani zoo for over 35 years.
A medical examination determined that Kaavan is overweight and malnourished. His feet are cracked and overgrown from the small, unsuitable enclosure he spent most of his life in. And he faces a long road to recovery, but he’s strong enough to travel and will soon start his healing process.
After spending eight years in solitary confinement, Kaavan will likely move to Cambodia, where he can enjoy comfortable, spacious conditions and socialization with other elephants for the first time in almost a decade.
Kaavan also has behavioral issues from his captive lifestyle. He exhibits telltale signs of extreme boredom and loneliness, including moving his head back-and-forth for hours, Four Paws spokesperson Martin Bauer said in a statement.
Kaavan’s freedom is due to a recent landmark decision for animal rights, when the Islamabad High Court ruled in July that animals have basic rights, including living in an environment conducive to their social and physiological needs. Chief Justice Athar Minallah ordered Wildlife Management Board officials and other authorities to finalize plans for Kaavan’s relocation — a ruling that came after a decision in May to release Kaavan and several other captive animals from the Marghazar Zoo, which the court deemed has caused unnecessary pain and suffering to its residents.
Kaavan arrived at the zoo in 1985 at just one year old and spent decades in a substandard enclosure with a dirty pond and very little grass. He was often chained up due to alleged aggressive tendencies, likely stemming from captivity-related stress, and his health worsened in 2012 after his cage-mate passed away.
The hard-fought battle for Kaavan’s freedom marks an important milestone in the fight for animal rights and the beginning of his much-deserved second chance at life.
GREAT NEWS — There IS a God.
That poor baby is finally going to sanctuary only because those useless, greedy pieces of crap was probably thinking he was of no good use to them anymore, that’s all. Not because they cared or was convinced to let.him go.. My only satisfaction, is that all of these imbaciles who feel its ok to do what they do to animals, will themselves have KARMA to face. No individual gets away with abusing an animal in any way, under spiritual law. It is spiritual law that …. any individual who intentionally abuse, neglect, torture, harm or kill one of god’s creatures will have to pay the price. They will have to go through and feel the exact pain and feelings they had a hand in putting any animal through….. I CAN’T WAIT!
thank goodness. It is about time. Now it will have better life
Best wishes to Kaavan and hoping he/she has many more years in a good and caring environment.
I’m so happy to hear this. Elephants should always be protected and treated well. They are precious.
Motherfucker trash leave alone at the poor inoccents animals
There is so much Animal Abuse On everything I read it gets me upset. What these other Countries do to animals is appalling.
Great news! Please keep us informed of his progress.
Thank God!
So pleased for Kavaan to be moving to a sanctuary at last. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this happen. No animal should ever have to endure this cruelty.
So happy for you. Go enjoy your new life Kaavan. Your new friends await you
I hope Kaavan lives many more years in peace and freedom with his own kind. I also hope that horrible zoo is never allowed to replace him or the other animals they have been banned to own. May it go out of business now.
Thank God that elephant is getting saved
So glad for the poor elephanr!!!
I am so happyfor Karvan 🐘. I hope he enjoys his new surroundingd
I hope and pray those who mistreat any animal is punished. Maybe chaining and imprisoning them would be a good start. We must severly punish animal abusers or they will continue their cruel behavior.
I hope and pray those who mistreat any animal is punished. Maybe chaining and imprisoning them would be a good start. We must severly punish animal abusers or they will continue their cruel behavior.
I’m so happy for Kaavan. Thank you all who fought to secure his (or her?) freedom. Thank you so much to all people everywhere in the world who fight for animal protections and rights of all animals to be treated humanely and respected. These people are exceptional human beings. Thank you all who support and empower these reputable animal rights organizations.
It is about time, this poor elephant has been suffering for decades.
Thank you, Chief Justice Athar Minallah, for doing what should have been done decades ago for Kaavan.
this is good to hear. should have been done long ago.
THANK YOU — THANK YOU — THANK YOU — my heart sings today for Kaavan — thank God for the Court and those Humans who made this compassionate, wise, rational, merciful, intelligent, smart decision to help Kaavan — THANK YOU.
❤&Tytyty ❣
High time! Geeeeeze!
Again! we MUST always be the VOICE for the VOICELESS.
PLEASE!!!!
At last! You’ll still have to make sure Kaavan is well cared for.
At last! You’ll still have to make sure Kaavan is well cared for.
Thanks to all the people responsible for getting Kaavan rescued and out of that hellhole. Maybe now this elephant can have a life of peace and health.
Poor Elephant. Happy to hear he will at last have a little peace and love in his life. I do hope he recovers from his injuries that he has had to suffer.
Thankful-but should have never been kept like that in the first place
thank you for finally seeing the light and finding some compassion in your heart for these wonderful animals.
I hope this poor elephant can finally be treated in a fair and respectful way. It’s about time
Poor soul. Glad to hear he’s going to have a better life.
How can human beings keep an animal in these terrible conditions for so long, and have any self respect left? Thank God, and far too late, decency and common sense have surfaced.
Lighting a candle for this magnificent boy’s safe travels, and a home where he can find peace and joy.
Good News!