An international pop superstar and a four-tonne elephant seem like the unlikeliest of friends, but that was indeed the case when Cher came to the aid of Kaavan.
The US singer’s crucial involvement in the long battle to rescue the bull elephant from his hellish existence in a rundown zoo on the other side of the world is chronicled in the inspirational English-language documentary Cher And The Loneliest Elephant, screening .
Born in Sri Lanka in 1985, Kaavan was sent to Pakistan as a gift to the daughter of President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. He ended up in Islamabad Zoo where he became its star attraction, along with companion Saheli.
When Saheli died in 2012 from poor treatment, her partner was left alone, chained inside a tiny enclosure. He was malnourished, bored and exhibited disturbing behaviour such as rocking from side to side and increased aggression, with Kaavan killing two of his keepers.
When animal lover Cher became aware of the creature’s plight via an international social media campaign, she wanted to help but wondered how she could do it.
“I thought, ‘I cannot save an elephant in Pakistan, because I have no street cred,’” she says. “How am I going to do this?”
So the singer rang Mark Cowne, a businessman experienced in relocating elephants in Africa, seeking his assistance. It was the start of a five-year mission to save Kaavan.
Initially, Cowne and Cher were instrumental in putting pressure on the zoo administration to improve the animal’s living conditions, such as adding water in his wading pool and removing his chains.
In 2017, Cher released Walls, a song detailing Kaavan’s plight. She and Cowne also created the Free The Wild Foundation.
With pressure growing in Pakistan, local lawyer Owais Awan took the zoo to court seeking Kaavan’s rights be recognised. In a landmark decision in May 2020, the Islamabad High Court ordered the zoo closed and the animal freed.
But this presented more headaches as relocating the elephant by airplane and truck to a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia would be a logistical nightmare, particularly as it was happening during a pandemic.
The doco follows the efforts of Dr Amir Khalil, a veterinarian experienced with animal rescue missions, and his large team to safely transport Kaavan to his new home.
In one memorable scene, Dr Khalil – who develops a friendship with the animal – and Cher serenade Kaavan to his favourite song, Frank Sinatra’s My Way. It’s a surreal yet oddly touching moment in this heart-warming doco, where viewers see Kaavan settle into his new home.
Viewers who enjoy it should head to SBS On Demand to see another fantastic film where pachyderms are front and centre.
Cher feeds Kaavan in the Islamabad zoo, with the help of Dr Amir Khalil. Source: Zoobs Ansari
Kaavan having his first sand bath in his new home, a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia. Source: Mike Kemp
First-time director Kirsten Tan’s Thai-language dramedy Pop Aye – an offbeat road trip movie from 2017 – was partly inspired by her memory of seeing a group of boys washing their elephant in the ocean, an event she describes as both mystical yet banal.
Middle-aged architect Thana (Thaneth Warakulnukroh) is disillusioned with his career, where he’s been sidelined by his younger business partners, and his loveless marriage to shopaholic wife Bo (Penpak Sirikul).
One day, he has a chance encounter in the streets of Bangkok with Pop Aye, the pet elephant he had as a child in his rural village, who’s now used as a roadside attraction.
Frustrated at the way his life is going, Thana buys the mistreated Pop Aye and, after an argument with Bo, decides to take the creature back to his home town.
Walking most of the way, his long journey is filled with misadventure and even tragedy, although he also makes several new friends along the way. They include fortune-telling drifter Dee (Chaiwat Kumdee) and transgender prostitute Jenni (Yukontorn Sukkijja), with whom Thana performs a duet in a karaoke bar. It’s no surprise he can hold a tune as Warakulnukroh is a former Thai rock star.
Of course, the film’s main focus is the special relationship between Thana and Pop Aye (played by Bong, who receives star billing in the credits) with the camera lingering on their affectionate interactions.
In many ways, the warmth shown between the pair reflects the friendship between Dr Khalil and Kaavan.
See it at SBS On Demand:
Cher And The Loneliest Elephant screens 8:40 pm Monday 27 June on SBS. it is also streaming now at SBS On Demand:
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