Today is the day when we could finally dream of doing away with all forms of animal cruelty in Pakistan. It is beginning from Islamabad and it has all the drama, tragedy and success. Kavaan, dubbed the loneliest elephant in the world, is going to be flown to Cambodia where he could live with other elephants the rest of his life. He has reached the age of 37 and the average age of Asian elephants is 40; hence, he doesn’t have much to live through. But he has finally succeeded in breaking the ice and now animals in other zoos of the country also stand a fighting chance at liberty. All credit goes to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that took up the case to put in order the affairs of Murghazar Zoo in Islamabad. The more the court heard the case, the more it got entangled. There came a point during the hearing, when it became hard to find who is responsible for this state of affairs at the zoo and hundreds of animals and birds were missing. Contempt notices were issued to the adviser and state minister for climate change and the court observed that those responsible for ill-treatment to the animals should not be put in the cages in the zoo for some time. The court was right in its observation that the zoo is a reflexive of how the government is running the country. Tragic, however, it is to see that government functionaries are now boasting of taking care of animals and putting the blame on their predecessors. Those who were issued contempt notices in this case are going to hold a press conference to take credit. Politics is being played even on animals. Different groups and artists have now got together in Islamabad to celebrate the release of the beast while there is no one to mourn the death of hundreds of animals, including lions, in this same facility. The good thing is the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is determined not to let anything change in redesigning this facility as a sanctuary. The CDA chairman has expressed his displeasure to the idea of zoos in cities and we should cherish such thoughts. Other cities should now follow suit and think about the animals they have caged for years. This is not the way to enter the future. They should do it in an objective manner without letting vested interest groups cash in on such noble initiatives. Wish you well Kavaan. *