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Siem Reap, Cambodia:
An elephant dubbed the “world’s loneliest” was set to land in Cambodia on Monday from Pakistan, headed for a sanctuary housing three potential mates, an official mentioned.
The case of Kaavan — an obese, 36-year-old bull elephant — sparked international uproar from animal rights teams, who petitioned for his transfer from an Islamabad zoo accused of substandard care and circumstances.
His trigger was boosted by a spirited social media marketing campaign by American singer Cher, who travelled to Pakistan to see him off.
“Cambodia is ready to welcome Kaavan,” deputy surroundings minister Neth Pheaktra instructed AFP Monday.
The elephant is anticipated to land in vacationer hotspot Siem Reap round 2 pm (0700 GMT), earlier than being transported to neighbouring province Oddar Meanchey the place a wildlife sanctuary awaits him.
“We expect to breed Kaavan with local elephants — this is an effort to conserve the genetic fold,” the minister mentioned, including that the sanctuary additionally homes three feminine elephants.
Dubbed the world’s loneliest elephant by the press, Kaavan was the one Asian elephant in Pakistan.
But the circumstances on the Islamabad zoo have been so dangerous {that a} choose in May ordered that every one the animals be moved.
A group of vets and consultants from Four Paws, an Austria-based animal welfare group, has spent months working with Kaavan to get him prepared for the journey — a sophisticated course of because of his measurement and the quantity of meals wanted en route.
The elephant additionally needed to be taught to enter the huge steel crate that was positioned in a cargo aircraft for the seven-hour flight.
But “Kaavan quickly gained confidence in us and made great progress in a short time”, mentioned Four Paws veterinarian Dr Amir Khalil in a press release Monday.
Four Paws, together with Islamabad authorities, additionally safely moved three wolves and a few monkeys from the zoo. Currently solely two Himalayan brown bears, one deer and one monkey stay.
Superstar Cher is anticipated in Cambodia to be a part of Kaavan’s welcome entourage.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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