Why did Pakistan’s only Asian elephant come to Cambodia to retire?

Because Cambodia has better conditions, it is more suitable for the 35-year-old Sri Lankan bull elephant Kavan to enjoy his old age there.

The "Bangkok Post" reported on the 25th that Kaavan had been living in the Marahazar Zoo in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Due to years of neglect, Kaavan was overweight and malnourished. Not only did he suffer He suffers from mental illness and his toenails are broken from stepping on unsuitable floors for a long time. In addition, Kaavan did not receive any protection measures in Islamabad's scorching heat of up to 40 degrees Celsius.

According to reports, the zoo said that the reason why Kaavan continued to shake his head up and down and other painful movements was because his partner Saheli passed away in 2012. Kaavan felt very lonely and longed to find someone. New companion. The park denied the fact that Kaavan had been kept in poor living conditions or chained. Kaavan's tragic experience sparked public outrage, and finally in May this year, a judge ordered that all animals in the zoo be moved.

Salim Sheikh, spokesman for Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change, said that after months of veterinary care and habitual training in a metal box, Kaavan will be released next Sunday (December 6 Japan) flew to a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia to "enjoy the rest of their lives in peace."

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Extended reading - Ease human-elephant conflict and build a "canteen" for elephants

Human-elephant conflicts generally occur in areas where Asian elephant habitats overlap with human activity areas. Sometimes Asian elephants will voluntarily leave their permanent areas and wander to human farmland for food. Elephants not only eat crops and fruits planted by farmers, but also damage houses and sometimes even cause casualties to humans and animals.

According to an article written by Pan Wenjing and Song Xiao, members of an environmental protection organization working in Xishuangbanna, as the tropical rainforests that Asian elephants rely on for survival gradually decline, it is difficult for them to obtain enough food from their natural habitats. The scope of human activities is also expanding, approaching or simply encroaching on their former homes. During their interactions with humans, intelligent elephants learned to forage crops, forage and rest in farmlands, and play near human settlements.

On the official website of the People’s Government of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, there are also reports that the deputy governor investigated human-elephant conflicts. The report pointed out that incidents of Asian elephants destroying objects and injuring people occur frequently, and humans become victims. According to statistics from the Yunnan Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau, between 2011 and 2018, property losses caused by wild elephants exceeded 170 million yuan.

In order to alleviate human-elephant conflicts, starting in the 1990s, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan and other places built food source bases for Asian elephants, also known as "elephant canteens." People plant plants that elephants like to eat, such as wild plantains and bamboos, in areas far away from villages and where elephants will pass by, so that elephants can fill their stomachs without entering human villages.

Beiwan New Vision - A 35-year-old Asian elephant from Pakistan came to Cambodia to retire. His partner died 8 years ago and he was very lonely