Cambodian vets to check Kaavan

Will assess if the elephant is fit to travel to host country

ISLAMABAD:

Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) has invited two Cambodian veterinarians to examine health of the Asian elephant, Kaavan, in Islamabad Marghazar Zoo.

Kaavan is being relocated to a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia, said climate change ministry spokesperson on Friday adding that while it is awaiting transfer, the ministry wanted to ensure that the animal was fit for travel after the approval from the veterinarians of the receiving country of Cambodia.

"We want to make sure that Kaavan is in good health to travel and there was no threat to his life during the process of relocation," he stressed.

He added that a detailed health assessment by the Cambodian veterinarians will provide the climate change ministry and the receiving country an outlook of the toil the journey of Kaavan would take on his health and whether he should travel at all.

"Animals have suffered Due to the mismanagement of the previous institutions looking after the Marghazar zoo. But now, the climate change ministry has taken strict notice of the plight of the animals and is all set to resolve them,” the spokesperson remarked.

Meanwhile, biodiversity specialist Prof ZB Mirza, who is also member of the IWMB has expressed fears, saying that the elephant might not survive the journey to Cambodia, according to the ministry's spokesperson.

He added that Prof Mirza had argued that even if it did make it to the Cambodian wildlife sanctuary, other male elephants might attack Kaavan and kill him.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2020.