According to the Associated Press, Kavan spent most of his life in chains and fed a high-quality diet consisting mostly of sugar cane, which led to him being overweight and malnourished. Tragically, the years of loneliness after his partner’s death also traumatized the elephant.
According to veterinarian Dr Amir Khalil, who works in animal rescue Four Paws, Kavaan developed behavioral issues including shaking his head back and forth out of boredom.
The campaigns highlighted the problematic conditions at Margzar Zoo, where Pakistan’s Supreme Court found rampant systematic neglect that had led to poor living conditions and ordered its closure in May this year.
Over the past three months, Dr. Khalil has worked closely with Kavan to improve his health and prepare for his trip to Cambodia, where he will start a new life at the non-profit Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary.
The elephant was put on a diet of fresh vegetables and fruits and lost a ton during training exercises to get used to the small enclosure and loud noises it would be exposed to on an airplane. According to Martin Power, spokesperson for Four Paws, getting an elephant on a plane is no small feat.
“Transporting an adult elephant on a plane is extremely rare,” Power told NPR. “An elephant has been flown by an aircraft of this magnitude, I don’t think this has ever happened before, so we are making history here,” he added.
Kavan flew to Cambodia on Sunday and reached the shelter earlier in the day. In its new home, the elephant will live in a huge forest with plenty of fruit and vegetables to snack on, with three other elephants to keep as companions.
“The goal is to make it social,” Bauer explained. “It will take time because he has lived alone for a long time. But yes, the goal in the end is to put him in contact with other animals because that is what elephants want. They are herd animals, they always form families, and that is also what we expect.
Scheer traveled to the Pakistani capital last week to oversee Kavanaugh’s transfer and met with the country’s Prime Minister Imran Khan to thank him for making the rescue possible.
“This is Free The Wild’s first big rescue and I’m very proud of it,” Cher said.
The singer also visited Cavan before he left and sang him along with the song A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes. She has now teamed up with the Smithsonian Channel to produce a documentary about the story of the elephant. “Think documentary, that would be warm,” Cher wrote on Twitter on Friday.
While Cher and Free the Wild led the awareness campaign in Kavaan, the Four Paws made the rescue a reality. Bauer Bashir hailed his participation in spreading the elephant story globally and said celebrity voices can have a powerful impact on animal rights advocacy.
“Celebrities who vote for good causes are always welcome, as they help start public discourse and increase pressure on responsible authorities,” Bauer said.
