Founded by Virginia McKenna DBE, Will Travers OBE and Bill Travers MBE in 1984, Born Free work tirelessly to stop the exploitation and suffering of wild animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild. From the start, they’ve campaigned for a future where animals and people can coexist and where threatened and endangered species are protected for generations to come.

Fondation Brigitte Bardot, or FBB, works for the protection of wild and domestic animals in France and internationally. Founded by cinema icon Brigitte Bardot, FBB acts directly on the ground through aid to shelters, animal rescues and sterilisation campaigns for stray animals, as well as by directly communicating with the public and engaging in the animal protection conversation at events and conferences.

OAT is a family trust established to end animal cruelty and exploitation by supporting organisations and initiatives concerned with animal welfare and conservation. The trust seeks partners and projects that are aligned with their vision and are achieving positive outcomes on the ground. This embodies the values of the Olsen family, inspired by their love of all animals.

Pangea’s site straddles the two municipalities of Alandroal and Vila Viçosa.  Both mayors and their teams have committed to help Pangea into operations as soon as possible.  The guidance provided thus far has been vitally important.

The Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) is Portugal’s governmental body responsible for safeguarding biodiversity and sustainably managing natural resources. ICNF has provided essential guidance during the feasibility study evaluating Pangea’s property as a suitable location for an elephant sanctuary and throughout the licencing process, facilitating our efforts with the Portuguese government to secure necessary permits.

The Directorate-General for Food and Veterinary Affairs (DGAV) is Portugal’s governmental authority overseeing animal health, welfare, and veterinary public health. DGAV has been instrumental throughout the licencing phase, advising Pangea as we navigate regulatory requirements for operating an elephant sanctuary in accordance with national standards.

GSE is a US-registered NGO established in 2013 whose sanctuary in Brazil is currently home to elephants rescued from zoos and circuses across South America.  Its founders have a combined 50 years of elephant experience, including the establishment of both the GSE and the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.  Their input into the Pangea’s facilities design has been invaluable and they continue to provide technical support in elephant management, helping to build capacity and ensure shared learnings.

Elephant Family works predominantly in Asia with in-country conservation experts to tackle the challenges facing Asia’s wildlife and the indigenous communities that live alongside them.  They have kindly partnered with Pangea to allow funds raised in the US to be passed through their US arm, meaning that donors can benefit from their 501c(3) status.

Rewilding Portugal’s mission is to promote nature conservation through nature recovery measures. Their work to date has focused in the Greater Côa Valley in northern Portugal, a region where high rates of land abandonment have created opportunities for bringing nature back.  RP will be responsible for land management at Pangea, helping to maximise biodiversity on site for the benefit of both elephants and the native wildlife.

Sofie and Tony Verlhust established Elephant Haven in France. They currently have capacity for three female elephants and we look forward to working together to help more of Europe’s elephants in need. 

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is the largest elephant sanctuary in North America and a global leader in elephant care and welfare. They have provided critical support by helping to build an emergency enclosure on-site. Their expertise have been vital in strengthening Pangea’s infrastructure and advancing our shared mission of providing a safe haven for elephants in need.

QATO Fonden is a Danish philanthropic foundation dedicated to advancing animal welfare. The foundation supports impactful projects around the world that improve the lives of animals through compassionate, long-term solutions. Pangea Trust is deeply grateful for QATO Fonden’s generous support, which will help expand our work to protect elephants and promote higher standards of welfare.

PLMJ is Portugal’s largest law firm and have provided open-ended legal support across all their departments since 2022. Their expertise has been invaluable throughout the land acquisition and licensing progress.

STRIX have provided subsidised environmental consultancy to Pangea for the past three years, from screening studies and assessing environmental impact through to support on licencing.

Host Logic is a UK-based IT consulting firm specialized in Microsoft Cloud. They have provided Pangea with invaluable pro bono expertise in cybersecurity, Microsoft 365 management, web hosting, and general IT support—helping keep our digital systems stable and secure.

We Are Social is a global creative agency focused on people, culture, and social-first storytelling. They have supported Pangea with pro bono expertise in branding and media, helping build awareness and engagement around the sanctuary.

Klass Wagen is a leading car rental company operating across Europe, known for its customer-focused service and reliability. They support Pangea by offering discounted rentals to our staff and visitors, helping make travel to the sanctuary more accessible and affordable.

Print Portugal is a woman-owned, multilingual branding and design company specializing in sustainable printing, signage, and merchandise. By waiving consulting and service fees and significantly reducing margins, Print Portugal has supported Pangea Trust with personalized, high-quality solutions. 

Sable International specialises in simplifying citizenship & immigration processes, cross-border wealth & tax management, money transfers overseas, as well as studying abroad. They are a purpose-driven organisation and believe the company values of Care, Solve, Grow and Enjoy align well with what the Pangea Trust team is building.

Secil Portugal is a leading producer of cement, concrete and construction materials with more than a century of expertise. They generously donated 150 m³ of concrete to support the construction of critical infrastructure at the sanctuary.

The Portugal News is Portugal’s leading English-language newspaper, reaching readers across the country and worldwide through its print and digital platforms. They supported Pangea by launching a dedicated reader appeal that helped bring new visibility and donors to our mission.

Rainbow Portugal provides premium home cleaning systems designed to improve indoor air quality and create healthier living environments. As part of its commitment to social and environmental impact, the company is funding an electric utility vehicle to support the sanctuary’s daily operations.