Kaavan the elephant, a resident of Islamabad Zoo in Pakistan, has been given the all-clear by medical professionals to leave the pen he has called home for 33 years, traveling to a new sanctuary in Cambodia following an extensive animal welfare campaign.
The animal, who had been dubbed “the world’s loneliest elephant” after losing his partner back in 2012, was also Pakistan’s last remaining Asian elephant and had been under an intense media spotlight after celebrities and activists around the world drew attention to his plight.
According to those who have campaigned for Kaavan’s release, the animal has spent much of the last three decades shackled in captivity, in an enclosure unfit for habitation. In a ruling ordering the release and rehabilitation of the elephant back in May, Chief Justice Athar Minallah declared:
"Neither are there adequate facilities nor resources to provide living conditions that would meet the behavioral, social, and physiological needs of the animals."
Related: Baby elephant takes its first steps:Even after the positive May ruling on Kaavan’s case, it has taken until now for the elephant to be ruled physically capable of making the journey to his new Southeast Asian home. According to Martin Bauer, a spokesman for animal welfare organization Four Paws, the elephant has been highly traumatized by his ordeal and suffers significant psychological damage.
As Bauer explained:
"Following the checks, which confirmed Kaavan is strong enough, steps will now be taken to finalise his relocation to an animal sanctuary potentially in Cambodia.
"He also developed stereotypical behaviour, which means he shakes his head back and forth for hours. This is mainly because he is simply bored."
Captive Asian elephants have a life expectancy of around 40 years - significantly less than their wild counterparts. Kaavan’s many supporters around the world will be hoping that this move will allow him to live out his last days in peace.
