Cher's mission to save "the world's loneliest elephant" has come to light in a new documentary released this week.
It took four years, but after much campaigning the singer was able to help get Kaavan, an elephant shackled and alone in the Islamabad Zoo in Pakistan, moved to the Wildlife Sanctuary in Cambodia.
Cher's successful efforts to save Kaavan are documented in "Cher & the Loneliest Elephant." She also spoke about it during a panel discussion on the documentary.
The elephant's plight was first brought to her attention on Twitter. The "Strong Enough" hitmaker admitted first thinking she was powerless to help Kaavan.
"'I don’t know anything about this. I’m just an entertainer. I can’t save this elephant,'" Cher recalled thinking, according to The Associated Press. However, seeing a photo of the chained animal prompted her to take action. She contacted businessman Mark Cowne and together they formed Free the Wild, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping animals in captivity that are being mistreated.
To help amplify the initiative on social media, Cher recorded a song, "Walls," then took a trip to Pakistan after the government made Kaavan's transfer to the sanctuary a condition upon the court-ordered closure of the zoo.
"I kept saying to my friends ... 'Are we really going to Pakistan? Is this really happening?'" she said. "Then I just went, 'Yeah, come on, you’re doing it. Stop playing around and just do it.'"
Cher recounted meeting Kaavan for the first time in an interview with People.
"The first thing I noticed was how big he was, and you have to respect that. Also, he had beautiful long eyelashes, and he had a sweetness to him," she said.
A special crate was created to carry the elephant via a reinforced plane, but it was not as simple as just transporting the animal. Veterinarian Dr. Amir Khalil from FOUR PAWS first had to gradually train Kaavan to walk into the crate to ensure he comfortably made it to the sanctuary, where Cher and a group of other people involved in the campaign were waiting to meet him.
"I can't explain it in words. It was joyous," she said of when Kaavan finally arrived. "He was so engaged. His behavior had completely changed."
Speaking about the documentary, Cher added that she hoped it would help people to reconsider keeping animals in captivity and also highlight her organization's efforts, which would ultimately enable them to do more.
"If you like animals or have extra money to buy a T-shirt, that's great. I'm just happy for people to see the documentary and enjoy it," she said. "It was a life-changing experience, one of the most amazing of my life."
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