Thanks to an iconic pop music superstar, the world's loneliest elephant has a new home and on Monday started his new life at an elephant sanctuary.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Cher was first alerted to Kaavan in 2016, who was living in dire conditions at a zoo in Pakistan on Twitter.
USA Today reported Kaavan - now 36 - was gifted to Pakistan by the Sri Lankan government when he was 1 in 1985 and lost his only elephant companion Saheli in 2012.
According to Cher's charity, Free the Wild, in July, a Pakistani High Court decided to relocate Kaavan to a different sanctuary, and the Marghazar Zoo was closed. The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board then determined that Kaavan be moved to an elephant sanctuary in Cambodia.
On Monday, through the Eric S. Margolis Foundation, who donated the Kaavan’s flight, the elephant was transported from Pakistan to Cambodia. According to the animal welfare organization, Four Paws, the flight went smoothly, and Kaavan even slept during the trip.
#FreeKaavan 🐘: Kaavan arrived! ✈️
Last night the loneliest elephant in the world was loaded on an airplane in Islamabad. Together with the team on-site, Dr Frank Goeritz and Dr Amir Khalil were right by his side throughout the whole trip. pic.twitter.com/b1745OQFsi— FOUR PAWS (@fourpawsint) November 30, 2020
In a Facebook post, nonprofit Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary said that Kaavan will now live in a vast jungle enclosure. There are plenty of foods growing that will provide him food.
"And of course, he will also get some fruit treats including watermelon, banana, pineapple corn, etc., just enough to satisfy his sweet tooth," the nonprofit said on Facebook.
Kaavan will live at the sanctuary with three other elephants also live at the sanctuary, the nonprofit said.
According to Cher, a documentary on the Smithsonian Channel will air her's and Kaavan's journey.
