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Cher says Kaavan will now live as an elephant, not a prisoner in Cambodia

The 36-year-old elephant had spent most of his life lonely at a zoo in Islamabad, before being moved on Tuesday.

Updated 03 Dec, 2020

Pakistan’s lonely elephant Kaavan began his new life in a Cambodian wildlife sanctuary on Tuesday, the result of years of campaigning for his relocation by US singer Cher.

She was there to see him beginning to explore his new home and said: “You know this is amazing for him... his life is going to be the life of an elephant and not the life of a prisoner.”

The 36-year-old elephant had spent most of his life at a zoo in Islamabad, before being moved on Tuesday to the Kulen Prum Tep Wildlife Sanctuary in Oddar Meanchey Province, to start a new life with some 600 other elephants.

Cher had written songs pressing for Kaavan’s release from grim, isolated conditions at Islamabad Zoo.

Now in Cambodia, Kaavan will gradually move from a quarantine enclosure, to a larger one, and then will eventually be able to explore an area spanning several hectares, according to a communications representative from the animal welfare organization Four Paws.

“It’s just a lovely place and the people are very kind. I would love in some years to come back and see him,” added the singer.

Comments

Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Dec 03, 2020 01:54pm

Cher is 100 percent right. Nonetheless, how about thousands of other elephants living in captivity all over the world?

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divergence Dec 03, 2020 02:17pm

@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Not just elephants, many animals, many of those are at the danger of becoming extinct due to illegal practices of humans. It is about entire animal kingdom, not just an elephant

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divergence Dec 03, 2020 02:21pm

Kaavan is one lucky elephant who got international world's attention. Why he got so much popular because of lack of attention he got while he was at zoo. If someone really wants to give total freedom to animals and let them breed in their own environments, then let them remain in their own habitats. It is not essential for animals to be enslaved to be enjoyed and seen by humans.

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Billi Force Dec 03, 2020 03:12pm

@divergence The elephant got attention due to the cruelty by Pakistani Zoo - chained and tortured the poor soul. Previously these same people had burnt two live cheetahs in their cage.

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k k tiwari Dec 03, 2020 03:31pm

@divergence Not just animals human being also

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divergence Dec 03, 2020 03:36pm

@Billi Force Since people are prone to vent out their frustrations on online forums rather than look at a problem of animal cruelty in a larger scale, so you must have reached at a conclusion. What I am talking about is broader than your causticness. The idea of animals in circus was not invented by Pakistanis, animal cruelty is not limited to those animals in zoos, which I also think should not be anywhere.

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Rashid Dec 03, 2020 05:12pm

@Billi Force check news Chained, beaten, whipped and exploited like slaves: The hidden horrors meted out to India's temple elephants

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Furqan Dec 03, 2020 05:43pm

Well, great to know that Kaavan is free but there are so many other animals trapped in zoos just merely for the entertainment and money making. Here, the international bodies need to ensure that every single animal gets the natural environment which it needs and if zoos can't provide that, then ban the zoos simply.

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secular Dec 03, 2020 05:43pm

@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Not only Kaavan all the Pakistanis except for a few rich and upper middle class are living as prisoners in Pakistan.

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Azhar Khan Dec 03, 2020 05:55pm

Kaavan was neglected, maltreated and ignored, not anymore. Thank you Super Star Cher for your energy, compassion and love for animals. I hope we all learned something.

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Tauseef Ahmad Dec 03, 2020 05:57pm

Cher is indirectly demonising Pakistan. Instead of thanking Pakistan for allowing Kavan to relocate, she is boasting that kanas life was hell in Pakistan and now will live happily after freed from Pakistan. Shame on Cher.

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Monsieur Dec 03, 2020 06:19pm

Not only Elephants are prisoners, even people with closed mindset are prisoners in this country

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Kaavan Dec 03, 2020 06:37pm

I feel sorry for all animal's in captivity

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Sarfraz Malik Dec 03, 2020 08:04pm

@Cher: what about 22 million Pakistanis and billion other Africans living in extreme poverty. How about giving away few million to those out of your 350£million assets instead of boasting urself as a world saviour.

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Tmnlun Dec 03, 2020 10:10pm

@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad yeah, I know a lot of pakistanis are

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Tmnlun Dec 03, 2020 10:13pm

@Sarfraz Malik always asking for handouts

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Chris Roberts Dec 03, 2020 10:19pm

@Sarfraz Malik We don't have a list of all the charitable donations made by Cher over the years, or of the organisations she has contributed to. Kaavan was a specific case that came to Cher's attention in connexion with animal welfare.

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Muqali Khan Dec 03, 2020 10:53pm

We should not keep captive animals as it amounts to animal cruelty. We don't like to be caged, animals have feelings too.

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Khoobree Dec 04, 2020 12:30am

Animals are treated like animals in Pakistan even endangered bird hunting is allowed for favours

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Khurram Sultan Dec 04, 2020 05:18am

anyone would have a better life outside Pakistan

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Hameed Malik Dec 04, 2020 05:28am

Finally, the elephant would live like an elephant. But the question is: why it was not given back to Sri Lanka with a great apology?

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Vikas Dec 04, 2020 05:36am

@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad she did her part what about you doing the same for at least one and share the load. Instead of rotting in your couch.

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Wake-Up Dec 04, 2020 05:48am

What about bull fighting in western world. Has any one seen that. What happens in Spain, Portugal, Southern France, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Peru and other countries is nothing short of animal cruelty at it's worst, but that becomes a sport and people like Cher see the other way. I think she needs to show her human side in those countries and fight for these animals also and let live them like animals in these countries and elsewhere, like Kaavan is living now and and not as fun providers to all the sadists in those countries.

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Muqali Khan Dec 04, 2020 06:53am

@Sarfraz Malik She has already given millions of dollars to various charities unbeknownst to many in Pakistan.

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Nameless Dec 04, 2020 06:57am

Kaavan didn't get attention because he was a prisoner. He got the attention because he was living in extremely poor condition not worth even from animal's standards. Pakistanis should avoid whataboutery over this and ponder over why animals are treated in such manner in Pakistan. Just two photos, one in Pakistan Kaavan banging his head against a wall, the other in Cambodia he being worshipped and being offered fruits by monks, tells all the story. Stop using this as an excuse for finger-pointing.

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Just Saying Dec 04, 2020 07:00am

Cher should look into all the disappearing people in Pakistan.

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Shakeel Mahota Dec 04, 2020 10:30am

Somebody asked has Caavan gone abroad as a result of some deal? Our innocent people make everything political.

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Zak Dec 04, 2020 10:30am

@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Their condition is not as bad as Kavan. Someday they will make a movie with Cher as the hero who rescued the poor elephant from a terrible place and fate.

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Axion Dec 05, 2020 01:34am

Why is Cher demonizing Pakistan? Pakistan tried its best considering the constraints on funds to care for Kaavan and other animals. Also, the tropical rainforest needed for most elephants does not exist in Pakistan and creating that kind of simulated environment is simply out of reach. Pakistan did the right thing to transfer Kaavan to Cambodia and never intentionally mistreated the animal...

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