An Indian elephant named Kaavan has spent his entire life on a chain in a small dilapidated paddock at a zoo in Pakistan. And only now, after 32 years of imprisonment, thanks to the efforts of animal rights activists, Kaavan will finally move to the reserve and gain freedom.
The global quest to free Kaavan began in the summer of 2015 when Samar Khan came to Pakistan from the US to visit her family. As soon as Khan found out that the zoo elephant had been kept on chains for 28 years, she immediately created a petition for the release of Kaavan, which quickly attracted the attention of people from all over the world.
In September 2015, animal rights activists finally won the battle for the right to take the elephant off its chains and let it roam free. But they didn’t stop there.
Three days ago, representatives of the Free Kaavanu movement and the Help Welfare Organization presented the Kaavan case before the Pakistani Senate. They argued that the elephant should be moved to a nature reserve where it could communicate with other elephants.
Faryal Gaukhar, who is in charge of public relations for the Freedom Kaavanu movement, addressed the Senate three times. He argued for Kaavan’s case, citing research and recommendations from leading experts.
Surprisingly, the Senate agreed Kaavan’s place in the reserve.Thanks to the people who fought for him, the elephant, which has spent its entire life in chains, will now be able to roam freely.
It remains to wait for official confirmation from the National Assembly of Pakistan, and Kaavan will move to a reserve in Myanmar, where a place has already been reserved for him.