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Europe’s first large-scale elephant sanctuary, which is opening to offer a more natural environment for some of the 600 animals still held in captivity across the continent, is to receive its first arrivals.
Julie, Portugal’s last circus elephant, will be moved next month to the animal charity Pangea’s multimillion pound sanctuary in the Alentejo, 200km (124 miles) east of Lisbon, close to the border with Spain.
She will join Kariba, another female African elephant in her 40s, who is being relocated from a Belgian zoo where she has been living alone.
“Kariba and Julie will live in an expansive natural habitat where they can roam freely, bathe and socialise in compatible groups,” said Kate Moore, the managing director of Pangea. “That autonomy is really critical but they will also have expert care as well. Elephants are one of the most sentient and intelligent animals on earth and so they have very complex needs.”
The sanctuary will initially occupy 28 hectares (70 acres), with further fundraising required to expand the enclosures across the 405 hectares of the former cattle ranch. The sanctuary’s priority is to provide the elephants with as natural a life as possible and will not be open to the public.
There are 36 elephants living in solitary confinement in zoos across Europe and about 40 still required to perform tricks in circuses. Many, including Kariba and Julie, were caught in the wild and brought to Europe in the 1980s and are reaching the end of their lives.
Captive elephants are restricted to smaller-than-natural herds, drastically reduced roaming – they walk tens of kilometres each day in the wild – and are susceptible to diseases and lameness.
Anne, Britain’s last circus elephant, was rehomed at Longleat safari park in 2011. She is now in her 70s and living alone. In 2022, Paignton zoo decided it would stop keeping elephants because it could not meet their complex needs.
Studies have found reduced life expectancy and increased infant mortality rates among captive elephants. One study found African females lived 17 years on average in zoos as opposed to 56 years in the wild if human-caused deaths were excluded.
Another study put the first-year mortality rate of captive-born Asian elephants in North America and the EU at about 30%. Wild African elephant first-year mortality is 10-15%.
Although the use of wild animals in circuses is now banned in most EU countries – with the exception of Germany, which has regional restrictions but no national ban – many circuses are struggling to give up large animals such as elephants because there are no sanctuary spaces. Similarly, governments cannot confiscate animals from circuses if there are no places for them to go.
In Portugal, a ban on wild animals in circuses came into full effect in 2025, with Julie the last wild animal to be rehomed after a voluntary agreement between the Cardinali circus and Pangea.
Vítor Hugo Cardinali, the director of the circus that looked after Julie since acquiring her from a German zoo in 1988, said: “This has not been an easy decision, as she has been a deeply loved member of our family for decades, but we believe it is the right decision for Julie. Working closely with Pangea on her transition to her new home was a critical factor in our deliberations.”
Moore said: “Across Europe, circuses and zoos are reaching the point where keeping elephants is no longer possible or appropriate – whether through changing legislation, the loss of a companion, or a decision to move on. Working in partnership with owners to find the right solution is central to how we operate, as it has been with the Cardinali family. Elephant relocations are complex, and their continued involvement is invaluable.
“Our priority is to offer spaces to elephants in circuses or solitary confinement in zoos, but we’re very happy to work with anyone looking to transition away from elephants.”
The sanctuary, which has taken 10 years to develop, is on the site of a degraded cattle ranch, where the elephants will also play a role in nature restoration. The region was once home to straight-tusked elephants which stomped across the Iberian peninsula 40,000 years ago.
“It’s really important that it’s a diverse environment for them,” said Moore. “We’ve put a lot of effort into helping the nature recover on what was a degraded cattle ranch, following basic rewilding principles. We know elephants can normally strengthen the ecosystems if we get the stocking density of the elephants right. It gives us this really interesting opportunity to see how the elephants are responding to the land and vice versa.”
When the sanctuary is expanded to405 hectares, it could carry 20 to 30 elephants living “naturally”, roaming and grazing and wallowing in the lakes.
