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Kaavan makes his movie debut with Cher and the Loneliest Elephant on April 22

Kaavan makes his movie debut with Cher and the Loneliest Elephant on April 22

The documentary follows Cher on her journey as she fights legal battles and executive difficulties to free the elephant.
10 Apr, 2021

A documentary on the 'world's loneliest elephant', Kaavan's journey from solitary confinement in Pakistan to a sanctuary in Cambodia is going to be released on April 22.

Titled Cher & The Loneliest Elephant, the documentary tells the tale of 36-year-old Asian elephant Kaavan's journey and will stream on Paramount+. A trailer was recently released for the film and according to it, it follows American singer Cher's journey in making sure Kaavan is set free, as she crossed legal hurdles and the exceptional difficulties of the task, taking viewers on "a touching journey about humans, animals, and our connection to all living beings on earth."

Paramount+ was launched in the US and parts of Latin America on March 4.

Cher, the "Goddess of Pop", has also written and sung a new song 'Walls' for the documentary. We're glad to add what she's done for Kaavan to her already lengthy list of highly appreciable endeavours.

Her campaign took social media by storm, as pictures and videos of the lonely elephant, chained up and malnourished at Islamabad's Marghazar Zoo, went viral globally. International veterinarian communities, sanctuary owners, animal rights groups, and wildlife experts took to the internet in great numbers, expressing their concern at the situation, calling for the world's authorities to help put an end to the madness.

Cher and her organisation, Free The Wild, adopted the cause early on, and thus begun the daunting task of transporting the four-tonne malnourished mammal 2,300 miles across Asia during a pandemic.

The documentary follows Cher as she travels to Pakistan, meets the authorities, and oversees Kaavan's departure.

"I could see him from the distance, he was shackled. He was suffering," said Cher of her first interaction with Kaavan. "Elephants are just like we are, they are so family-oriented and emotional," she says in the trailer.

When in May 2020 Islamabad High Court announced the closure of the Marghazar zoo and its decision for the immediate relocation of the animals, Four Paws International was called in to execute the difficult task. The organisation has detailed how it planned and pulled off the relocation, which you can read here.

Related: Kaavan's journey to Cambodia in pictures

Spokesman of the Austria-based Four Paws, Martin Bauer, when speaking to the Associated Press, said “Thanks to Cher, but also local Pakistani activists, Kaavan’s fate made headlines around the world, and this contributed to the facilitation of his transfer.”

"I saw all the people being affected by it all over the world. People want a happy ending. People don't want to see animals suffer," Cher told Entertainment Weekly about the upcoming documentary.

Kaavan was brought to Pakistan in 1985, at barely one year of age — becoming the country's only Asian elephant — as a gift from the Sri Lankan government, acknowledging the nations' deep ties. Later, when he was six years old, he was joined by Saheli, another female Asian elephant. The two lived together for 22 years, until her tragic death in 2012 due to infections from the cuts caused by her chains. Kaavan was left visibly distraught, as recognised by experts of animal behavior.

"He was just moving back and forth. This behaviour comes from severe mental and physical neglect," said an expert about Kavaan's condition in the trailer.

The elephant arrived in Cambodia to much fanfare. Kaavan was excited to see other elephants, and quick to make new friends.

“First contact with an elephant in eight years — this is a huge moment for Kaavan,” said Bauer. “Kaavan will finally have the chance to live a species-appropriate and peaceful life,” he added, finishing, "He has a very bright future ahead of him."

Comments

ali Apr 10, 2021 04:18pm
PM IK used to say people from the world will come to Pakistan to stay for jobs. Even the elephant hated it here; that's funny.
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Khaled Apr 10, 2021 04:18pm
Great.
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Chrís Dăn Apr 10, 2021 04:30pm
Cher is genuinelly a heavenly person on this planet. She saved this alone helpless animal from a torturous life amongst insensitive ,selfish people and still cares for him. Bravo.
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Ibrahim S Apr 10, 2021 05:11pm
This will really earn a good name for Pakistan
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Abbasshah Apr 10, 2021 05:14pm
Careless souls ????
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M. Saeed Apr 10, 2021 05:36pm
Humanity at at's best teaching humans to be better humans.
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Babs Apr 10, 2021 07:29pm
So thankful for all who noticed Kaavan from the 16 yr old student who posted the first picture to the crew who are building his habitat at CWS. We have adopted Kaavan as our service learning project and are creating artwork to help him. Thank you Cher for keeping him and those in need like him in our thoughts! We can change things together.
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Zak Apr 10, 2021 07:43pm
@ali PM IK used to say people from the world will come to Pakistan to stay for jobs. Even the elephant hated it here; that's funny. Under PML N and PPP but not under PMIK and PTI.
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Zak Apr 10, 2021 07:44pm
Alls well that ends well.
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Marcus Apr 10, 2021 11:01pm
Problem with Pakistanis is that they like their dirty laundry made public. They have no shame. This film will really expose how broken the infrastructure really is that has been run into the ground by incompetence and people who voted them in.
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Marcus Apr 10, 2021 11:04pm
Poor ik got roped and fooled into believing that kavan was retiring whereas in fact Cher was rescuing him from a dire state of affairs.
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Tahir malik Apr 10, 2021 11:08pm
Those officials who chained this animal or any other animal must be chained themselves for a month or so. They are worst of all creations.
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Tahir malik Apr 10, 2021 11:31pm
@Marcus but isnt that a good thing to expose cruelty and incompetence of govts?
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Shabbir Apr 11, 2021 08:30am
Atleast this poor animal is out of that jail where he had been confined & in chains for over 20 + yrs.PM IK is not responsible for this animal's misery-corrupt & inept governance of the former rulers resulted in this saga.
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Kim Apr 12, 2021 01:41am
Thank you Cher for doing this! I love elephants! They are just like was! They feel grief and pain! I will definitely be watching this!
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Joe Apr 12, 2021 04:19am
What a quack! quack quack
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Rania Apr 12, 2021 10:52am
@ali Under Pm Ik he went to a sanctuary at last. and I'm sure he didn't "hated" it here but just lonely because of incompetents running that particular zoo. Though you don't have to spill your obvious hatred for Pakistan under every kind of news bits you know. Stay relevant instead of immature trolling.
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Autumn Leatherwood Apr 12, 2021 04:04pm
I think it's a amazing selfless thing she is doing some has to speak up for all creatures big and small and Cher is absolutely timeless and will remain so for many years to comes. I got to ride an elephant once it was the coolest thing ever they are gentel giant's... ..
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kABEELAKHAN Apr 12, 2021 05:34pm
@Chrís Dăn You have the audacity to call Pakistanis insensitive and selfish people on a Pakistani newspaper , so be it. Please also enlighten us with your views on Indian people , where thousands of unarmed Kashmiris have been massacred.
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