He hasn't had one good word to say about the place since he left. I don't know who hurt him.

It happens JB. in every expat group.
We have long time regular members here who i cannot recall ever saying one single good word about Cambodia.

And now for something completely different... or how Cher soothed the savage beast. Now told on TV !

Smithsonian documentary ‘Cher & The Loneliest Elephant’ will premiere on Paramount+
Updated 1:48 PM; Today 1:48 PM
By Deb Kiner

The world premiere of a documentary about the journey of “the loneliest elephant” from captivity in Pakistan to freedom in Cambodia with the help of superstar Cher will land on Paramount+ on Earth Day, April 22.

“Giant Stars. Giant Undertaking. Giant Rescue. The Smithsonian Channel follows the one and only Cher as she races to Pakistan to help save the ‘world’s loneliest elephant,’ Kaavan.

The global superstar lends the power of her celebrity and her enormous drive to a cause that grew out of a global social media campaign, backed by expert wildlife veterinarians, animal aid groups and sanctuary owners. To succeed, the group would have to overcome a series of daunting challenges to move a four-ton elephant more than 2,300 miles in the midst of a global pandemic,” said the Smithsonian Channel.

“Cher & The Loneliest Elephant” will launch on Paramount+ on April 22 in the United States. It will premiere in the United States on The Smithsonian Channel at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 19.

HOW TO WATCH: Plans on Paramount+ start at $5.99 a month. (A free trial is in effect until March 31)

“I saw all the people being affected by it all over the world,” said Cher in a news release, [she] first learned of Kaavan’s plight through online activists who sought her help. “People want a happy ending. People don’t want to see animals suffer. And I know people are suffering too, but this is a story that can brighten their lives.”

Kaavan, a 4-ton, malnourished elephant who had “spent nearly 20 years in chains, prodded to beg for tips while living in a tiny, dilapidated shed under the scorching Islamabad sun.

Dreadful living conditions led to equally dreadful health problems, including depression, angry psychosis and obesity. Then, tragically, Kaavan’s only mate died of neglect. Kaavan became the poster elephant for the plight of captive animals and ignited a social media uproar that soon caught Cher’s attention.”

Cher co-founded Free The Wild with partners Mark Cowne, Gine Nelthorpe Cowne and Jennifer Ruiz and she recorded a song, “Walls,” to give further voice to the rising calls for Kaavan’s release.

According to the Smithsonian Channel, in May 2020, the Pakistani high court ordered that Kaavan be freed.

“Working with an international rescue organization, Four Paws, and its extraordinary veterinarian, Dr. Amir Khalil, the team identified a potential new home for Kaavan in a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia.

The stage had been set for an amazing rescue operation, but as logistical challenges piled up and Kaavan entered a testosterone-fueled, aggressive mating condition called ‘musth,’ there were serious doubts whether the team could actually pull it off. In November 2020, Cher gave up her Thanksgiving holiday to fly halfway around the world to ensure that Kaavan would be saved,” according to the Smithsonian Channel.

“I was frightened, but then I thought, what do you want to do more?” said Cher. “You made a promise, and you have to go. I didn’t see any other way to do it. I have a saying on my Twitter, ‘Stand and be counted or sit and be nothing.’ And I wasn’t going to sit and be nothing.”

“It’s truly remarkable to witness what can happen when people come together to pursue a shared mission,” said James Blue, Head of Smithsonian Channel & SVP MTV News and Docs.
https://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2 ... mount.html

Happy ending...

Kaavan living happy life in new Cambodian jungle home
December 06, 2021
BEIJING - The 37-year-old Asian elephant Kaavan once dubbed “loneliest elephant in the world” is living a happy life in his new Cambodian jungle home a year after he was moved from a zoo in Pakistan. Kaavan arrived here one year ago and change in him has been amazing and he is now thriving and living a happy life in the Cambodian Wildlife Sanctuary, Kaavan’s caretaker and Sanctuary Spokesperson Pedro Vella said in an interview with CGTN.
Talking about how Kaavan was transferred from Pakistan to Cambodia, he said that Kaavan was born in Sri Lanka and given to Pakistan when he was one year old. “So he’s been in the zoo in Pakistan for that time until 12 months ago and moving him here was a huge effort. Basically, we flew him here so it was expensive,” he added.

Pedro Vella informed that an enclosure measuring 30 acres of jungle nature was built for the elephant where he could move freely.

Kaavan was gifted to Pakistan by Sri Lankan authoritiesss in 1985. The elephant previously spent 35 years at the Islamabad Zoo, and after a female elephant Saheli who was his only companion for 22 years died in 2012, he spent the past eight years alone. The Islamabad High Court last year ordered that Kaavan be freed, thus starting his journey to Cambodia. Kaavan was airlifted to Cambodia from his lonely existence.

However, one year on from his moving, he is flourishing in his new home at Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary and living an elephant-worthy life.
https://nation.com.pk/06-Dec-2021/kaava ... ungle-home