A major animal welfare milestone is about to become reality in Portugal. Europe's first large-scale elephant sanctuary is preparing to welcome its first two residents, finally giving them something they have been missing for decades — space, choice, and companionship.
According to The Guardian, Julie — Portugal's final circus elephant — is scheduled to move next month to Pangea's new sanctuary in the Alentejo region, about 124 miles east of Lisbon near the Spanish border. She will share the sanctuary with Kariba, a female African elephant in her 40s, who is being transferred from a zoo in Belgium after living on her own.
For elephants that have spent years in captivity, that move marks a major step forward. Pangea's sanctuary was created to provide a more natural environment where elephants can roam, bathe, graze, and socialize in compatible groups, rather than being confined and isolated.
According to The Guardian, 36 elephants are living in solitary confinement in zoos across Europe, and about 40 are still required to perform tricks in circuses.
The sanctuary has been 10 years in the making. It will start on 28 hectares, about 70 acres, and could later extend across a 405-hectare, over 1,000 acres, former cattle ranch if additional fundraising is secured. Pangea says the site will not be open to the public, a choice that keeps the focus on the animals' well-being rather than tourism.
That decision could help set an important precedent. Elephants are highly intelligent and social animals that normally travel long distances each day in the wild. In captivity, they are often subjected to restricted movement, smaller social groups, and serious health problems, including lameness and disease. Studies have also found shorter life expectancy and higher infant mortality among captive elephants than among wild populations, per The Guardian.
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As more countries ban or restrict the use of wild animals in circuses, suitable places for elephants to go have remained scarce. As The Guardian noted, Portugal's ban on wild animals in circuses fully took effect in 2025.
The land that will house the sanctuary was previously a degraded cattle ranch, and the organization has been working to restore it using rewilding principles. If managed carefully, elephants can help shape landscapes by grazing, trampling vegetation, and creating more dynamic ecosystems.
That kind of two-in-one progress is part of what makes the sanctuary so promising. It shows how conservation projects can improve the future for wildlife while also giving communities a clearer path away from outdated practices.
"Kariba and Julie will live in an expansive natural habitat where they can roam freely, bathe and socialise in compatible groups," Pangea managing director Kate Moore told The Guardian. "That autonomy is really critical but they will also have expert care as well."
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Moore also said the moment reflects a broader shift across Europe: "Circuses and zoos are reaching the point where keeping elephants is no longer possible or appropriate."
Vítor Hugo Cardinali, director of the circus that cared for Julie for decades, called the relocation difficult but necessary, telling The Guardian: "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."
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