The ‘World’s Loneliest Elephant’ Made A Friend
- Thomas Nelson
- December 19, 2020
- Animals
- 0 Comments
Recently, we wrote about the closure of the ‘worst zoo in the world.’ In that article, we made reference to an elephant named Kaavan who was rescued by a legal team funded by the pop star Cher Bono. Kaavan. Kavaan was dubbed the ‘world’s loneliest elephant’ because he spent a total of 8 years in isolation after the death of his partner in 2012.
Kavaan was in poor physical health at the time of his rescue. The male elephant was grossly overweight. Since his rescue, he has lost a few pounds and is closer to being a healthy weight.
After being rescued from the Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan, Kavaan was sent to the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary by Four Paws, a rescue group. His transition to the sanctuary went smoothly, according to Hannah Baker, the head of communications for Four Paws.
“Kaavan’s transfer went as smoothly as anyone could hope,” Baker said in an interview with Treehugger. “The months of training and preparation by the FOUR PAWS team all paid off and he coped remarkably well with the journey. In fact, he behaved like a frequent flyer and took it all in his stride!”
She added: “Now he is adjusting to his life in Cambodia and acclimatising. The new surroundings and fellow elephants will take some getting to use, but initial signs show that he is adjusting well and is keen to explore more and get to his new friends.”
The ‘World’s Loneliest Elephant’ Made A Friend
Four Paws recently took to Facebook to share a photo of Kaavan extending his trunk out toward one of the other elephants in the sanctuary, saying that the image doesn’t need much explanation. Kaavan seems excited by the prospect of making friends at his new home and no longer being the world’s loneliest elephant.
Sadly, Kaavan’s story isn’t an isolated incident. The outlook for elephants in captivity around the world is pretty bleak. According to the Global Sanctuary for Elephants, the average lifespan for a captive elephant is only half of that of a wild elephant. They often suffer from infections in their feet and bones and are prone to joint disease.
