Social media helped save a zoo elephant; it didn’t hurt that Cher came onboard, writing the song ‘Walls’ for Kaavan who served as her inspiration. What caught Cher’s eye was a campaign on Twitter, which gained momentum from Facebook and from signatures on a petition site all in support of a Sri Lankan bull elephant suffering alone in a dismal zoo.
It was Cher’s action, her contacts and her compassion that led her to found an organization, Free the Wild, which served as an intermediary, along with the charity, Four Paws, which ultimately saved Kaavan the elephant’s life (and not without great difficulty, one might add).
Thanks to thousands of caring individuals who love elephants our Asian elephant Kaavan has been enjoying sanctuary (and becoming an elephant again!) at the Cambodia Wild Life Sanctuary in Siem Reap since Nov 2021.
It is not difficult to understand that without social media campaigns and caring humans our elephants would still be held in unconscionable situations in captivity. That is why we must carry on for our elephants left behind**, #FreeLucy #FreeBilly #FreeMundi and unnamed others who are still waiting for our help, still waiting to be rescued.
Walls – by Cher
“Never thought that I would end up like this
Building up the barricades, brick by brick
Heaven knowing what it is to be free
just faded
Do you know – everything’s riding on, riding on
us to save them
Ooh
Look at this life, we built it all
I just wanna see the walls crashing down
burn to the ground
Let them stand tall
I remember how it felt when we laid the foundations
like nothing could harm it but I see the cracks in the floor
Ooh, ooh
Look at their lives
Can we save them somehow
Cause I just wanna see the walls crashing down
And I don’t wanna have to say this – again
Something’s gotta break hard – and change my friend
Everything that happened way back when
Just faded
Do you know – everything’s riding on, riding on
us to save them
Ooh
Look at this life, we built it all
I just wanna see the walls crashing down
burn to the ground
Let them stand tall
Cause I just wanna see the walls crashing down
We can go back in time
We can try, try to get –
them back home
Look at this life, we built it all
And I just wanna see the walls crashing down
burn to the ground
Let them stand tall
Cause I remember how it felt when we laid the foundations
like nothing could harm them but I see the cracks in the floor
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Look at their lives
Can we save them somehow
I just wanna see the walls crashing down
hmmm
I just wanna see the walls crashing down
can we save them somehow”
** #Free Lucy #FreeBilly #FreeMundi are still a part of Free the Wild’s Project List (1). THANK YOU, Cher
Image: CC WikiMedia by Zoobs: Cher Visits Kaavan the Elephant at Zoo in Pakistan Before His Rescue (2)
Sources: ‘How Social Media Ignited Cher’s Fight to Save Kaavan the Elephant by Smithsonian Channel’ video (3)
See ‘Our Current Campaigns’ at Four-Paws in US (4)
See ‘Our Current Campaigns’ at Four-Paws International (5)
‘WALLS by Cher for Kaavan 2019’ creative commons video (6)
- (1) https://www.freethewild.org/projects
- (2) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cher_Kaavan_1_Photo_credit_Zoobs_.jpg
- (3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSVDsBF7mtg
- (4) https://www.four-paws.us/
- (5) https://www.four-paws.org/
- (6) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfEmPEJypAQ
Elephant Spoken Here Facebook
Elephant Spoken Here twitter @ESHelephants
Image: CC WikiMedia by Zoobs Cher Visits Kaavan the Elephant at Zoo in Pakistan Before His Rescue