Saving Kaavan, the world’s loneliest elephant

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for free here: Dr Amir Khalil thought he was just going on another job. The veterinarian from the Vienna-based charity Four Paws International had been invited to Pakistan, where he was tasked with training a five-tonne Asian elephant in preparation for his relocation to a sanctuary in Cambodia. Kaavan had spent more than 30 years in the Marghazar zoo in Islamabad, after being gifted to Pakistan by Sri Lanka in 1985. After decades of mistreatment, and a years-long campaign that gained international attention, Pakistan’s High Court finally ordered that the zoo be shut down, and Kaavan be moved to a new home. Dr Khalil knew moving Kaavan would be a monumental task, but he didn’t expect he’d form such a close bond with the elephant. “It is the first time in 30 years I built a relation with an animal,” he said.