They Called Him the World’s Loneliest Elephant. Two Years Later, the Man Who Saved Him Came Back

Kaavan the elephant was born in Sri Lanka in 1985. While still young, he was sent as a gift to Pakistan, and he spent most of his life at the zoo in Islamabad.

For years, he had a companion named Saheli. When she died in 2012, Kaavan was left completely alone.

For long stretches, he had been kept in chains. People began calling him “the world’s loneliest elephant.”

Then people started fighting for him. A petition to free him gathered more than 400,000 signatures. It caught the attention of the singer Cher, who joined the cause.

In May 2020, a court in Islamabad ordered Kaavan’s release.

The animal charity FOUR PAWS sent a team led by Dr. Amir Khalil, a veterinarian. Kaavan was huge, stressed and wary of people. So Dr. Amir did something simple. He sat with him for months, and he sang to him.

Slowly, Kaavan learned to trust him.

At the end of November 2020, Kaavan was flown to a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia. Cher was there to see him off. Dr. Amir was by his side.

In this video, Dr. Amir returns to the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary to see his old friend. Kaavan now has trees, a pool to swim in, and other elephants nearby.

Watch what happens when Dr. Amir calls out to him.

Some friendships don’t need words.

Do you believe animals remember the people who help them? Tell us in the comments.