The last time I wrote an update to this petition was in 2015. Back then, I was a pre-vet student who had been shocked into starting a change.org petition after seen a sad little elephant named Kaavan standing in shackles, weaving back and forth at Islamabad Zoo. Five years later I’m now a veterinarian and thanks to four hundred thousand social media warriors, an elite team of animal welfare organizations, and dedicated local Islamabad volunteers, Kaavan is a free elephant.
In just two days, Kaavan will be airlifted from Pakistan to Cambodia where he will live in a 25,000 acre jungle sanctuary with a herd of other rescued elephants. The world’s loneliest elephant will finally have a family.
After I graduated vet school this Summer, I went to go to see Kaavan again. He is already miles away from the cowering elephant he once was. His eyes, once dull and glossed over, are now bright and full of mischief. I was invited by doctors from Four Paws, an animal welfare organization, to help give Kaavan his pre-travel check up. He snatched a watermelon full of dewormer I filled and threw it away, before reaching back to steal apples. With just a few weeks of proper care, Kaavan has started to come out of his shell and has turned into the most lovable, cheeky boy. It’s been the honor of my life to have him as my first patient and I’m so excited to see how life in Cambodia will transform him.
Kaavan’s journey to sanctuary has been a collaborative effort. So many people were involved, including Kaavan’s new best friend: renowned vet Dr Amir Khalil, who connected with me in 2015 to take up Kaavan’s case, as well as superstar Cher who generously used her platform to fight for Kaavan.
A fact I wish was highlighted more by international media is that loudest voices for Kaavan have been Pakistani: from Faryal Gauhar, an Islamabad based animal activist, who first laid the groundwork for Kaavan’s case in government; to Anees Jilani and Owais Awan, Kaavan’s dedicated legal team who petitioned Kaavan’s case in court; to Mohebullah Naveed, a 17 year old animal activist, who has gone to visit Kaavan before school every day these past five years. There is even an entire an entire group of Islamabad citizens called Friends of Islamabad Zoo who work every day to improve zoo animal welfare. These people are just a fraction of the many Pakistanis who have come forward and fought for the Islamabad Zoo animals in the last five years.
Kaavan is known to the world as the lonely elephant of Islamabad Zoo. But thanks to your support, he isn’t just the Islamabad Zoo’s elephant anymore: millions of people across the world have adopted him. He became ours, and we all made sure he got the life he deserved.
-Dr. Samar Khan