“It was the kids on Twitter, they did this!
They wouldn’t leave me alone.
CHER:Who woulda thunk it?
Paramount+
I never expected to save Kaavan!
But, we’re working on more elephants right now.
Like all great things on the internet, this story can be traced back to a Cher tweet.
You first got involved in the rescue on social media, Why did this story hit you so hard?
It was the kids on Twitter, they did this!
They wouldn’t leave me alone.
I kept thinking they’d just stop when I didn’t respond, but, somehow they didn’t.
He told me that he was from Africa, and when he was young, he helped move elephants.
When this whole thing started happening, he was the only person I knew.
I was like, “Hi, remember me?
Could you possibly help me here?”
He left a couple of days later…. telling them to unshackle Kaavan.
He’d been shackled his whole life, since he was 4.
He still has scars.
How did this plan move from the internet to you actually needing to go to Islamabad yourself?
We were political, we were moving in and out of these administrations.
It was the only way [the government] would let him go, if I went there personally.
They gave us a certain amount of time.
I had to come and pick him up personally in a raging pandemic.
Well, I thought I’d better go!
It was so awful!
I was singing so bad.
I was so embarrassed!
It was so nice seeing you do that!
What did you feel in that moment as you performed for him?
Could you sense a change in his mood?
A lot of people enjoy animals more than the company of other people.
Where do you stand on that?
Well, no, I love people, too.
I do a lot of different things.
I’m not giving up.
I’m hoping that this documentary will help me, because elephants can’t be in zoos.
They don’t do well.
Because their feet can’t stand it.
They move miles a day, and they’re used to being together, like a family.
In the film, we see that elephants communicate through non-verbal movements and vibrations.
Did you take a stab at communicate with Kaavan beyond singing?
They can make a sound through the front of their head!
It’s a thing that elephants do when they have too much tension and anxiety.
They can’t go anywhere, so that helps relieve the stress.
He did that all the time.
He’s got a new house and chicks!
you might see them holding trunks at the end of the film.
There’s a young girl and an older girl.
What kind of energy did you feel from him in your moments with him?
They kept trying to pull me back, but he’s lovely.
He’s a very kind soul.
I felt a complete attachment to him.
As long as I fed him watermelon, he’s very open and curious!
I’ve never seen anyone do a FaceTime call with an elephant.
Do you still keep up with Kaavan on FaceTime, like we see at the end?
I don’t see him all that much!
But, I do like knowing….
I keep tabs with [the people with him] to see what’s going on.
It’s a much better place for him even though it’s very hot right now.
The second tier, where the girls are, they come together for food and treats.
That, for all intents and purposes, is a jungle….
He’ll feel free!
He loves trees because he’s never been able to be around them.
Has this process inspired any other new music that you’ve yet to release?
I haven’t worked on my music in a little while.
What do you mean when you say people haven’t seen an album like this before?
What, like I’m going to tell you?
It’s my job to ask!
We’re not friends, I’m not telling you this!
That’s my dream to be friends with Cher.
You just crushed it!
[Laughs] I don’t mean it like that.
I can walk and chew gum!
