Good news: Europe's first elephant sanctuary has opened

Europe’s first elephant sanctuary has opened in the Alentejo, Portugal

Built from scratch on a 405-hectare site in the Alentejo, the sanctuary was designed to give these highly intelligent and social animals what a circus or a small zoo could never offer: space to roam for kilometres, the freedom to decide how to spend their day, and the chance to rejoin a herd.

The ban on wild animals in Portuguese circuses was passed in 2018 and came into full effect in 2024. But there was a practical problem: Julie, the last circus elephant in Portugal, where she had worked for 40 years, had nowhere to go...

Julie is now Pangea’s first resident 🙂

https://www.pangeatrust.org/our-first-e … at-pangea/

Many circuses and zoos across Europe are reaching the point where keeping elephants is no longer possible or appropriate, and they need somewhere to turn to.

Kariba, another African elephant captured in the wild, also in her 40s and currently living alone in a zoo in Belgium, is expected to join Julie later this year. Pangea is already in talks with other European institutions that have elephants in similar circumstances, looking for new compatible companions for this group.

Anyone can support this non-governmental organisation at pangeatrust.org

Web: www.pangeatrust.org

Facebook: @thepangeatrust

Instagram: @pangea_trust

LinkedIn: @ pangea-trust

TikTok: @pangeaelephantsanctuary

YouTube: @pangeatrust

https://m.youtube.com/@pangeatrust/videos

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Portugal's last circus elephant finally free

https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/20 … ee/1049044