On this, the last day of 2020 I think that many people are breathing a short sigh of relief that this year is over – good news and good riddance, at this symbolic break between past and future. It’s a short sigh of relief because we all know that tomorrow we awaken to the same world.
But how about ending this last day of the year with a good news story.
Earlier this month Kavaan, “The Loneliest Elephant in the World” was rescued from deplorable conditions in the Islamabad Zoo in Pakistan.
Media attention was high, not only because of the wonderful event itself but because Cher lent her celebrity status to the mix through her participation in helping this to happen. Cher and friends, through their charity Free the Wild, helped fund the very expensive rescue, which shipped Kavaan from Pakistan to his new home in an elephant sanctuary in Cambodia.
Many other people and animal welfare organizations were also involved including funding from the Eric S. Margolis Foundation that provided the major funding for rescuing the animals from the Islamabad Zoo. It was a huge undertaking involving these groups along with pressure from the Pakistani people, and the eventual support of the Pakistan government and courts. Earlier this year the courts ordered the closure of the zoo and the dispersal of the remaining animals, which has now been completed.
In Pakistan four-paws.org veterinarians worked with Kavaan for months before the transfer, building up his health and “training” him 3 times a day to load in and out of the purpose built container that he would be travelling in. Lessons had been learned from the total fuck up that had occurred earlier at that zoo when an attempt was made to transfer out two lions – a total fail that caused their deaths.
In Cambodia at the elephant sanctuary, they constructed a special 3 acre interim holding pen where he now lives temporarily as he is quarantined and adjusts to his new life. Later he will live with other elephants in this jungle reserve. He has already met the three females who live there, through the fence.
Someone at the Cambodian sanctuary posts short videos on You Tube every day of Kavaan in his new home. That’s how I start my day, checking in on this wonderful animal, now in happier times.
Many organizations are working hard to fight against the practices that cause such cruelty to animals and it is heart-warming to see that people care enough to overcome the obstacles to help and make change. It took years and a lot of work to achieve Kavaan’s release. And as for Cher and her organization, that was originally formed in response to Kavaan’s situation, they are turning their attention to other potential rescues. It seems that Kavaan is not the only “Loneliest Elephant in the World”. Targets for further rescue work are (descriptions from freethewild.org):
Mundi is the only African elephant at Mayagüez Zoo, Puerto Rico, where she’s lived in isolation for over 35 years. Taken from Zimbabwe, Africa, at the age of two, Mundi has lived a life of almost total solitude, endured two tropical storms and now remains captive in a Zoo that is reportedly closed.
Born in 1975, Lucy is an Asian elephant who has lived in the sub-arctic conditions of Canada for over 40 years at the Edmonton Valley Zoo. She has never been with another Asian elephant and her only companion was taken away in 2006. She is 1000 lbs overweight and suffers from significant arthritis and foot disease. She has difficulty bearing weight on her back legs and, due to an inappropriate diet, suffers dental issues and painful colic issues which have caused her to collapse – seen lying down, slapping her stomach with her trunk. With no place to swim, no mud in which to wallow or trees to scratch against, Free The Wild aims to work with Edmonton Valley Zoo to find an amicable solution in securing her release. Despite being 45 years old, Lucy has another 15-20 years left of her life.
Billy the Asian elephant has called Los Angeles Zoo home for nearly thirty years. In that time, he’s had little-to-no stimulation and developed stereotypical behaviours associated with isolation, frustration and stress. Campaigners and anti-captivity lobbyists have been advocating for his release for years.
And not only elephants are lonely. Bua Noi Thailand’s last gorilla resides in Pata Zoo, on the 7th floor of a department store in the middle of Bangkok. She’s lived behind glass walls for 31 years, having been taken from her home at the age of 1 in 1988. Her mate passed away over a decade ago; the zoo staff and neighbouring primates her only company since.She is an incredibly intelligent animal who needs psychological stimulation, space and at the very least, direct sunlight. She has never set foot outside.
The hard work of compassion continues.
