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Buddhist monks perform a ceremony to bless the crate containing Kaavan the Asian elephant upon his arrival in Cambodia from Pakistan at Siem Reap International Airport in Siem Reap.
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An elephant dubbed the "world's loneliest" landed in Cambodia Monday from Pakistan, receiving a warm welcome from American superstar Cher (centre) who will accompany it to a sanctuary housing potential mates.
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Cambodia's Deputy Minister of Environment Neth Pheaktra catches a glimpse of Kaavan. The case of Kaavan - an overweight, 36-year-old bull elephant - sparked global uproar from animal rights groups, who petitioned for his move from an Islamabad zoo accused of substandard care and conditions.
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Kaavan's cause was boosted by a spirited social media campaign by Cher, who travelled to Pakistan to see him off. | Above: The crate containing Kaavan the Asian elephant is loaded onto a vehicle after his arrival in Cambodia.
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Kaavan's much-anticipated journey was "uneventful", said Amir Khali, a veterinarian from animal welfare group Four Paws, adding he behaved "like a frequent flyer". "Kaavan was eating, was not stressed - he was even a little bit sleeping, standing, leaning at the crate wall," he said.
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Once the sole Asian elephant in Pakistan, Kaavan will be transported from Siem Reap to neighbouring province Oddar Meanchey where a wildlife sanctuary with about 600 other elephants will be his new home.
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Members of the animal welfare group Four Paws check on Kaavan the Asian elephant upon his arrival in Cambodia.
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"Cambodia is pleased to welcome Kaavan. No longer will he be 'the world's loneliest elephant,'" deputy environment minister Neth Pheaktra said. "We expect to breed Kaavan with local elephants - this is an effort to conserve the genetic fold," said the minister.
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Kaavan's journey is the culmination of years of campaigning from animal rights groups, who say the animal's behaviour demonstrated "a kind of mental illness" likely due to the zoo's woeful conditions.
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A crane lifts a crate carrying Kaavan, an elephant to be transported to a sanctuary in Cambodia, at the Islamabad International Airport in Islamabad.
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This aerial photo shows the under-construction enclosure for Kaavan at the Kulen Prom Tep Wildlife Sanctuary in Oddar Meanchey province.
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A team of vets and experts from Austria-based Four Paws has spent months working with Kaavan to get him ready for the trip - a complicated process due to his size and the amount of food needed en route.
Image Credit: REUTERS
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US pop singer Cher walks past the crate containing Kaavan upon his arrival in Cambodia at Siem Reap International Airport.
Image Credit: AFP
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Upon hearing about Kaavan's freedom, Cher had tweeted that the decision marked "one of the greatest moments" of her life.
Image Credit: REUTERS