Kavaan’s journey from being the world’s “the loneliest elephant” to freedom in Cambodia has been captured on camera and will be seen in a documentary by Cher titled Cher and the Loneliest Elephant. It is scheduled to release on Paramount+ on April 22.
According to details, Cher, through the film will be taking viewers along for “a touching journey about humans, animals, and our connection to all living beings on earth”.
In Cher and the Loneliest Elephant, the singer travels to Pakistan to rescue Kaavan, an elephant who’s been neglected and living alone for years. The Smithsonian Channel documentary follows Cher as she teams up with animal experts and veterinarians to help transport Kaavan from a shed in Islamabad, where he’s been kept in chains for almost two decades, to a new home in Cambodia.
“Elephants are just like we are. They’re so family-oriented and so emotional,” says Cher in the trailer.
Talking about the film, Cher told Entertainment Weekly, “I saw all the people being affected by it all over the world. People want a happy ending. People don’t want to see animals suffer. And I know people are suffering too, but this is a story that can brighten their lives.”
“I was frightened [to do this], but then I thought, what do you want to do more? You made a promise, and you have to go,” she continued. “I didn’t see any other way to do it. I have a saying on my Twitter, ‘Stand and be counted or sit and be nothing.’ And I wasn’t going to sit and be nothing.”
The film also features a brand new track by the singer titled Walls to highlight Kavaan’s story.
Kavaan was first brought to Pakistan in 1985 as a gift from Sri Lanka when he was only a year old. Since then he was living at Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad with his partner Saheli, who died in 2012. After Saheli’s death, Kaavan became alone and was dubbed as the world’s loneliest elephant. He suffered from several health issues and was also mentally distressed. In 2016 he caught the attention of Cher, who along with other animal rights activists fought a long legal battle for his release and transfer.
He was airlifted from Islamabad to Cambodia in a Russian cargo plane in November 2020.
