UK's 'Loneliest Elephant' Hasn't Seen Her Own Kind In 20 Yrs, People Sign Petition To Rehome Her
She stays in a ? 1.2m heated enclosure these days, where she is free to roam. Yet she doesn't have another elephant with whom to spend time.
When Kaavan, the world's loneliest elephant, was rehomed in Cambodia last year after spending 30 years in a zoo in Pakistan, animal lovers around the world expressed their gratitude to the campaigners who made the move possible.
The Asian elephant had been living at Islamabad Zoo in Pakistan for decades. Many campaigners were petitioning for his release for years alleging that he was ill-treated at the zoo, leading to signs of mental illness. A court in May ruled that Kaavan should be released from the zoo as more and more campaigners expressed their concern and filed petitions.
BCCL
But in the wild, there is still a large population of lonely elephants that have been living for years in captivity or isolation.
For instance, for 20 years, 'Britain's loneliest elephant' hasn't seen its kind. Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire is home to Anne the Asian elephant. She was forced to perform tricks for more than 50 years before moving to the park.
Times Now
She stays in a ? 1.2m heated enclosure these days, where she is free to roam. Yet she doesn't have another elephant with whom to spend time.
Now, almost 4,00,000 people have signed a petition asking for the return of the retired circus elephant to a sanctuary.
The petition to move Anne from Wiltshire to Haven in France has been signed by many animal advocates, including the British actress Joanna Lumley. As females live in large herds longer, they want Anne to mix with other elephants in the wild.
Animal Defenders international
In 2011, Anne was saved by Longleat after video was posted on social media of her being beaten with a pitchfork by a circus employee. Longleat Safari park has taken care of her since then. For 20 years now, however, she has not seen her own type.
Famous elephant conservation units such as Action for Elephants, Global Elephant Sanctuary, Born Free, and Four Paws have now amplified the call for her rehoming.
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