Kaavan the loneliest elephant of Pakistan, Departed for Cambodia early Monday on a special chartered cargo plane from Russia.
A 10-member team, comprising veterinarians and technicians, accompanied the 35-year-old bull elephant on a long journey from Pakistan to a Cambodian sanctuary.
Kaavan was sedated before being shifted into a special cage in which it was transported to the Islamabad airport.
The plane with the pachyderm on board was to depart last day but its departure was delayed by about 10 hours due to India creating hurdles to the elephant’s smooth, non-stop transportation to Cambodia.
Malik Amin Aslam, Adviser to the Prime Minister for Climate Change said India should desist from its hatred policy in the matter involving an animal’s rescue.
Malik Amin Aslam demanded of the Indian authorities to allow the plane carrying Kaavan to use the country’s airspace without making any stopover.
A reception committee would be ready at the Cambodian airport to receive Kaavan, Initially, a 10-acre area would be given to the elephant where the animal could see other elephants, PM’s Adviser said
It must be noted that, Kaavan was brought in Pakistan in 1985 as a gift from Sri Lanka when he was 1-year-old, whose inappropriate living conditions in Marghazar Zoo had irked onlookers as he remained chained and that, too, in a tiny enclosure.
This year in May, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) decreed relocation of Kaavan since he was treated cruelly by the authorities concerned. Kaavan’s plight was given a boost over the years by American pop icon Cher, who publicly campaigned for the elephant’s relocation.
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