After rescuing world's loneliest elephant, Cher aims to rescue gorilla from Bangkok zoo

After freeing the "world's loneliest elephant" Kaavan from a life of misery in a Pakistani zoo, the singer Cher is now attempting to rescue Bua Noi, a gorilla who has spent the last 30 years behind bars above a Bangkok shopping mall. As per the animal rights group PETA Asia, Bua Noi was captured as a baby and taken to Para Zoo, which is a small rooftop zoo containing imprisoned animals in "abysmal conditions" since the 1980s. This zoo has long been criticised by animal welfare campaigners and often referred to as "animal hell". 

READ | World's Loneliest Elephant Kaavan Finds Home In Cambodia After Long-drawn Rescue Campaign

Cher attempts to rescue gorilla captured in Bangkok zoo

As per local media reports, American singer Cher has joined people who are calling for the gorilla's release and has also written to Thailand's Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa, to express her "deep concern" over Bua Noid's living conditions. In the letter, the singer has also highlighted the poor conditions of other primates in the Bangkok zoo. As per local animal welfare campaigners, animal captured at the zoo have very little stimulation and are confined in unnatural enclosures at the zoo. 

READ | World's Loneliest Elephant Won't Live 'prisoner's Life', Says US Singer Cher

'Free the Wild', a charity co-founded by Cher, has offered to fund the transfer of the gorilla to a sanctuary in the Republic of the Congo. She called this sanctuary a home of peace and dignity where the lonely gorilla could live  her life in a natural environment and enjoy companionship with other species. In her letter to Varawut, Cher said that other animals at the zoo, including orangutans, Bonobo and a gibbon have been offered a home with the Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand. 

Calling upon the good people of Bangkok to help her stop the torturing of innocent animals, the singer took to Twitter and wrote," It Is a Sin. Please Help Me Bring Peace to these Animals &Free Them From Pata Zoo…Shopping Mall Inshallah." Slamming the Bangkok zoo owner, Cher said that he is making money from the suffering of these poor trapped animals. Launching a listening attack on the zoo owner, she said, "I wish this greedy money-hungry man would be locked in cages with animals."

READ | 'World's Loneliest' Elephant Leaves 'abusive' Pakistani Zoo For Cambodia, Gets New Life

Last week, after her successful campaign, to relocate the world's loneliest elephant Kaavan, Cher travelled to the sanctuary in Cambodia to relocate the elephant from the Pakistani zoo. As per the media reports, Kaavan has been found severely dehydrated. last year, the keepers of the lonely elephant were accused of stealing his food. Now after being rescued, Kaavan is now living in a wildlife sanctuary in Oddar Meanchey province, north-west Cambodia along with over 600 other animals. 

READ | Cambodia Welcomes 'World’s Loneliest Elephant' Kaavan Following Global Rescue Campaign