A veterinarian from the international animal welfare organization Four Paws offers comfort to an elephant named Kaavan at the Maragzar Zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan.

An elephant who has become a cause celebre for animal rights activists around the world will be allowed to leave his Pakistani zoo and transferred to better conditions, the animal welfare group helping with the case said Saturday.

Dubbed the "world’s loneliest elephant" by his supporters, Kaavan has languished at a zoo in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad for more than 35 years.

Martin Bauer, a spokesman for Four Paws, said the elephant has been finally given medical approval to travel, most likely to Cambodia, where he will find companionship and better conditions.