Kaavan quickly adapts to new home in Cambodia

Asian elephant Kaavan is healthy and has quickly adapted himself to his new home here, Cambodian Ministry of Environment Spokesperson Neth Pheaktra said.

The 35-year-old Asian bull elephant arrived in northwest Cambodia’s Siem Reap province from Pakistan by a chartered plane on Nov 30 after spending nearly 35 years in an Islamabad zoo. He was transported to the Kulen Prum Tep wildlife sanctuary in Oddor Meanchey province soon after his arrival, according to Chinese media here on Saturday.

Pheaktra said that under the care and protection of the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS), Kaavan has been enjoying his new life with other female elephants in the sanctuary.

“Kaavan is healthy and has adapted himself very well with the atmosphere of his new home, and hes starting to get on with other female elephants around him,” he said.

“From now on, Kaavan, which was previously known as the world’s loneliest elephant, is no longer lonely because in the Kulen Prum Tep wildlife sanctuary, we have arranged three female elephants to live with him,” he said. “We hope that Kaavan will help produce many Asian baby-elephants for Cambodia.”

CWS President Sok Hong said Kaavan has begun to enjoy his new life in the sanctuary and will be released into the wild in the next few months.

“I think it will take three months to take care of Kaavan before releasing him into the wild because he has now started to accustom himself to nature here,” he said.

Pakistan allowed Kaavan to be relocated to Cambodia after it had been kept in an Islamabad zoo for nearly 35 years.

In May, the Islamabad High Court ruled that Kaavan should be sent to a Cambodian wildlife sanctuary.

Asian elephants are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Pheaktra said Cambodia is home to hundreds of Asian elephants, mostly living in the Cardamom Mountains and in the northern provinces of Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri.

“According to our report, the number of Asian elephants is between 400 and 600 heads,” he said.

The spokesman said Cambodia needs about $40.5 million in the next 10 years for conserving the Asian elephants in the country.