Kaavan’s ordeal is a story of silent suffering of the gentle giant, and the bond that animals create even between humans, providing a platform to unite as one and raise their voice, despite the differences.

“Raja” (King) is how the tribal folks of Tamil Nadu address the elephants. Unfortunately, like the thousands of captured elephants that find themselves at the mercy of humans, Kaavan, the 31-year-old ‘lonely’ elephant at a Pakistan zoo, has been fighting a lifelong battle to escape from the confines of captivity and live in the wild.

But unlike other tamed elephants and zoo exhibits, Kaavan’s struggle has gathered a whirlwind support from all over the world, starting from the faceless common man, to the high profile leaders, who demand that Kaavan be relieved of his woebegone prison life and released to a sanctuary, and find a place in the elephant society, which he rightfully deserves.

According to reports, Kaavan first arrived at the Islamabad Zoo, formerly known as Murgazhar Zoo, in 1985, as a one-year-old calf gifted to the zoo by the then Sri Lankan Government. There has been no reprieve for the poor creature ever since his arrival, as he was reportedly seen in an old picture carrying children, while still being a calf.

The later part of his life saw him chained in his enclosure for most of the day, which created a global outcry forcing the zoo authorities to unchain him, much to the relief of supporters in 2015, thanks to the online petition started by Pakistani-born American Samar Khan, that reached the political heads in Pakistan.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA), that runs the zoo, was reluctant to release Kaavan claiming that he would be happy once the long-awaited mate arrives from Sri Lanka. “Bring a female elephant and you will see very positive changes in Kaavan,” Kaavan’s keeper, Jalal-ud-din Ahmad was quoted as saying in the South China Morning Post.

However, reports claim that Kaavan was showing signs of ‘mental illness,’ like bobbing his head even while he was with his former mate, Saheli, a female elephant brought from Sri Lanka in 1990. Reported negligence and poor maintenance resulted in the death of Saheli in 2012. The demise turned Kaavan violent, forcing the authorities to once again chain him for longer periods.

A recent video released on July 12 shows Kaavan chained in a pond of filthy water. Only this time, Kaavan was seen kneeling, which could be dangerous for elephants, according to experts. Since elephants have no bones in the thoracic cavity region, kneeling, which causes excessive pressure on the chest and the diaphragm, could result in death caused by suffocation.

Carey Ostrer from the United Kingdom, who has been involved in the online campaign seeking the relocation of Kaavan, told the Covai Post, “Bearing in mind the zoo’s inability to properly care for Kaavan, we are demanding that he be retired from the zoo and be given a place in a recognised sanctuary, where he can regain his physical health and trauma from captive life.” Ostrer added that Kaavan had been offered a place in a sanctuary in Myanmar, recommended by Four Paws International, an animal welfare organisation.

Talking about the signature campaign that garnered more than four lakh signatures, Ostrer said that supporters were also planning to conduct concentrated campaigns on Twitter and other social media platforms in the future.

“We are lobbying overseas Pakistani Ambassadors, and those VIPs interested in animal welfare issues for support,” informed Carey Ostrer.

If the campaign succeeds in getting Kaavan out of his nightmarish enclosure, the tormented animal could well and truly learn to live the life of an elephant with members of its species.

The link for the online petition is provided below:

https://www.change.org/p/help-free-kaavan-the-elephant-from-28-years-of-solitary-confinement