ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani mission in Bangkok has issued visas to three veterinary experts to assess the health of Kaavan, the lone elephant at Marghazar Zoo, and declare him fit for travel to a sanctuary in Cambodia, the Ministry of Climate Change said on Wednesday.

The veterinary experts are expected to arrive in Islamabad at the end of August. They include Srisaard Channarong, Pratumdee Wichian and Thomson Darrick Lome, Ministry of Climate Change Deputy Director Mohammad Saleem said.

Once he has been given a clear bill of health, Kaavan will be moved to a 25,000 acre sanctuary in Cambodia after 35 years of captivity in Marghazar Zoo.

According to Mr Saleem, the ministry’s focal person for the media, the Islamabad High Court directed for necessary arrangements to be made to relocate the elephant.

The climate change ministry approved the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and asked them to take up the matter with the concerned authorities at the Pakistani mission in Bangkok to issue visas to veterinarians so they could examine the elephant before his relocation, he said.

He adde: “In compliance with the direction of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) had notified on June 9 an eight-member committee for the relocation of the elephant and other animals of the Marghzar Zoo to other sanctuaries.”

He said that a meeting of the IWMB was also convened on July 13 that reviewed the various options for Kaavan’s safe relocation to comply with the IHC judgement issued on May 21.

At the meeting, the IWMB decided that the elephant should be retired to the Cambodian Wildlife Sanctuary after his health assessment by the veterinarians.

“It was decided that relocation options for the elephant Kaavan must be considered after examining all parameters, such as the health of the animal, the logistics, suitability and facilities at the proposed site and the agreement with the new site authorities, amongst others,” he said.

An IWMB representative had told the court during a hearing on July 18 that the expert committee formed to consider relocation options for Kaavan agreed to send him to a sanctuary in Cambodia that already houses elephants and is equipped with experts who have relocated and rehabilitated more than 80 elephants so far.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2020