Cher finally came face-to-face with the Asian elephant she helped rescue from a Pakistan zoo.
The pop icon is among the animal activists who have been fighting for Kaavan’s relocation from Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad to a Cambodian sanctuary for years and, when government officials shut down the Islamabad Zoo earlier this year, they increased their efforts to find the elephant a new home.
Taking to social media, Cher revealed spent time with Kaavan and oversaw his journey to the Siem Reap International Airport, when he was transported to Cambodia.
In the clip, Cher can be seen serenading Kavaan with A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes from Cinderella, singing: “No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.”
When she finished the song, Cher asked Kavaan: “Well what do you think? It wasn’t very good, I have to say, I did my best.”
After meeting Kavaan, Cher flew with the elephant to Cambodia, where he was greeted by Buddhist monks. He had to be tested for Covid-19 before his flight.
Kaavan will live out his days in a huge jungle enclosure with other elephants
Cher first became involved with the campaign to free Kavaan in 2016, when footage of the elephant chained in his tiny habitat went viral online, attracting the attention of numerous animal rights organisations.
When the Islamabad high court ordered that Kavaan be released in May, Cher tweeted: “This is one of the greatest moments of my life.”
She went on to meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, on November 27th and thanked him for “making it possible” for her to accompany Kavaan to Cambodia.
