evidence: - Since 1975, Sri Lanka has gifted 35 elephants to zoos in various countries — a practice that animal welfare groups say is inhumane for such large animals that evolved to roam over expansive tracts of land. [...] The Sri Lankan government has given elephants from the orphanage to several countries, with each transfer subject to CITES regulations. According to the CITES Trade Database, Sri Lanka has given away 35 elephants since 1975, many of the transfers initiated by Sri Lanka’s Department of National Zoological Gardens. [...] In May this year, Kaavan, a male elephant sent to Pakistan shortly after its birth in 1985, was ordered by a court to be released from Islamabad Zoo, where it had been kept in chains for decades. The court said wildlife officials in Pakistan should work with their counterparts in Sri Lanka to find a suitable sanctuary for Kaavan. The ruling came after a global campaign, spearheaded on social media by the U.S. singer and actress Cher, to free Kaavan.