Pangea is a non-profit organisation operating Europe’s first large-scale elephant sanctuary in Alentejo, Portugal. We give elephants rehomed from zoos and circuses the space, care, and dignity they deserve.

We are restoring our 1,000-acre reserve into a thriving, biodiverse habitat for native wildlife and resident elephants, giving them the space to roam, forage, and socialise freely to create conditions that meet their unique needs.

Large-scale sanctuaries exist in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, but there is only one small facility in Europe. Pangea fills this critical gap.

Hundreds of elephants remain in captivity within European zoos and circuses. Owners who want the best for their elephants and are considering rehoming them need a viable alternative. Pangea helps zoos and circuses that wish to improve welfare or transition away from keeping elephants and supports governments in enforcing stronger welfare standards.

We were established as a UK charity in 2017 and a Portuguese non-profit association in 2022. We also have a 501(c)(3) proxy that allows 100% pass-through of all U.S. donations.

We receive support for our core operational costs from member organisations, allowing us to focus our fundraising efforts on rescues, lifelong care and capital projects. This is met primarily through a mix of high-value donations, individual giving, and grants from trusts and foundations.

The sanctuary is located on a 1,000-acre estate in Alentejo, Portugal, 200 km east of the capital city of Lisbon, close to the Spanish border.

The site was selected following a detailed feasibility study that assessed options across Europe against strict criteria, including climate, land availability, ecological value, accessibility, and long-term sustainability. Our 1,000-acre reserve in Alentejo, Portugal, met all of these requirements and more.

The warm Mediterranean climate, rolling landscapes, and diverse habitats offer ideal conditions for elephants to roam, forage, and socialise naturally, while also supporting ecological restoration. The site is also very private, ensuring a secure and peaceful environment for the elephants while allowing us to manage access carefully.

Our priority is those in greatest need — elephants kept in isolation, those in circuses located in countries where use of wild animals has been banned, and individuals in zoos facing financial difficulty, or cases where governments wish to intervene and confiscate.

We are however open to working with any institution seeking a better future for their elephants.

Yes! All open positions are posted on our Careers page and shared across our social media channels. We are also developing a volunteer programme, and updates about how and when to apply will be listed online. To stay updated on new opportunities, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.

Not on a day-to-day basis, but we will host a limited number of public access days each year. We also plan to partner with academic institutions where students have the opportunity to visit the sanctuary and learn about our work.

In addition, volunteer programs are in development and an educational centre near the sanctuary is in the planning stages. This center will feature interactive virtual exhibits and live video feeds, allowing visitors to learn about elephants and observe them in real time.

Please see our Visitor Policy page for more information about opportunities to visit the sanctuary.

Elephants are among the most intelligent, sentient and social animals on Earth and have complex needs. They walk tens of kilometres a day, maintain deep family bonds, and live within an intricate social structure. Using infrasound to communicate, they show empathy and memory that rival our own, making them some of the most extraordinary beings we share the planet with.

These complex needs leave elephants especially vulnerable to challenges affecting their physical and psychological welfare in captivity. By focusing exclusively on elephants, Pangea can provide the space, specialist care, and dedicated environment required to meet their unique needs.

A sanctuary exists purely to give animals a safe, lifelong home. Space at the sanctuary must be prioritised for other elephants in need and there is limited public visitation. There is also no trading or breeding.

Yes. Sadly, most elephants that have lived in captivity cannot be returned to the wild. We aim to offer elephants a life with conditions that meet their complex needs.

At Pangea, elephants will live in expansive natural habitats where they can roam freely and forage on diverse vegetation, bathe, and socialise in compatible groups. They will be cared for under a protected contact management system, with expert veterinary oversight and daily enrichment that encourages natural behaviours.

Pangea envisages giving elephants access to 85% of the 1000-acre estate over time. Construction of fencing will be limited to speed of funds raised, so habitats and their connecting barns will be built as finances permit. Elephants will be initially separated by sex (male/female) and species (Asian/African). The vision is that elephants will be rotated through the areas to allow for a full diversity of experience across different habitats, accessing hundreds of acres.

Yes. Decades of experience from sanctuaries around the world demonstrate that elephants can regain their health and wellbeing after circus life. Many elephants arrive showing signs of trauma — repetitive swaying, aggression, or withdrawal — but when given space, choice, and companionship, their behaviour often transforms.

Examples of circus elephants, include Rana at the Global Sanctuary for Elephants in Brazil, who spent over 50 years in captivity. Within months of moving to sanctuary, she began exploring large habitats, using mud wallows, and socialising calmly with other elephants. Debbie and Ronnie, two elephants in Tennessee, spent years performing in circuses but now live in bonded groups where they graze, dustbathe, and vocalise naturally. Tarra, also from Tennessee, showed dramatic improvements in mobility, enrichment use, and exploratory behaviour once she was free from performance life.

These stories show that even after decades in restricted environments, elephants can regain natural behaviours, form new social bonds, and enjoy improved wellbeing in sanctuary.

Elephants at Pangea will be managed through the protected contact method, which gives limited but important interaction with humans. This approach, also used at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee and Elephant Sanctuary Brazil, means caregivers and elephants are never in the same unrestricted space. Instead, trained staff work through safety barriers, using positive reinforcement, trust-building, and the elephants’ cooperation rather than force.

Through protected contact, elephants still receive the hands-on care they need while maintaining their autonomy and safety. Caregivers approach on the elephants’ terms, ensuring each interaction supports health and trust. This method safeguards staff and empowers elephants to choose if and how they participate in their own care, free from dominance or control.

Free Contact means elephants and handlers share the same space, with keepers able to touch or control elephants directly. It usually relies on dominance and tools such as bullhooks to enforce compliance. This method is now widely recognised as unsafe for staff and harmful for elephants, as it removes choice and often involves aversive handling.

Protected Contact, by contrast, is barrier-based. Keepers and elephants are always separated by a fence or wall, and all handling is done through positive reinforcement. The elephant has the freedom to walk away, which gives her control over the interaction. This approach is recommended in the EAZA Best Practice Guidelines (2020) as the modern standard for elephant care.

Pangea will use Protected Contact exclusively. That means our elephants will never be forced into direct interaction or subjected to dominance-based training. Instead, they will learn to cooperate voluntarily in their own care — for example, presenting her foot for inspection or opening her mouth for a dental check — with rewards like food or enrichment. This not only makes care safer for staff but, most importantly, restores dignity, choice, and trust for the elephant.

Pangea’s site masterplan is designed to ensure long-term sustainability, exemplary animal care, and efficient operations, offering a clear framework for development while remaining flexible to accommodate new intakes. It allows us to build in phases, adapt as we learn, and stay fully compliant with licensing and planning requirements.

At Pangea, we aim to create a rich and varied life for elephants, full of natural stimulation and choice. By restoring the land around them, we can give elephants the space and diversity they need to thrive while also supporting native wildlife.

The sanctuary follows rewilding principles, transforming degraded land into a healthy, biodiverse landscape. Low-impact grazing by elephants and other species will strengthen ecosystems and create an environment that is as natural as possible for the elephants themselves with associated environmental benefits.

Not quite! It is true that tens of thousands of years ago, elephants once roamed the Iberian Peninsula and shaped many of the plants still found in Portugal today, and some scientists have proposed releasing elephants in European landscapes to study their impact.

That is not what we are doing. Our aim is to create the most stimulating environment for elephants, in what has been deemed the most appropriate European setting in terms of climate and vegetation. In the wild, elephants walk for tens of kilometres every day across vast ranges, eat hundreds of different plants and socialise in multi-layered societies. We can’t hope to replicate that here in Europe, and neither can we choose which elephants come at what point, because we are going to be responding to demand based on welfare needs.

So, it’s an imperfect model for research, but Pangea offers a rare chance to study their presence in a Mediterranean system. How do they adapt to their new environment? How does the environment respond to them? We’re committed to working with researchers who specialise in elephant behaviour and ecology, using the findings to adapt our land and elephant management practices accordingly. At the least, we aim to demonstrate the welfare impact of giving elephants a more natural life and we should also gain some ecological learnings along the way.

Pangea is supported by four member organisations: Born Free Foundation, Fondation Brigitte Bardot, Olsen Animal Trust, and World Animal Protection

They have been instrumental in our success from the very beginning. The exploratory phase and feasibility study was initiated and funded by Born Free and Olsen Animal Trust. Pangea became an independent NGO with both as members in 2017; Fondation Brigitte Bardot joined in 2020, and World Animal Protection in 2024.

Alongside our members, we collaborate with leading sanctuaries and Mediterranean ecology specialists, and a 15-member Technical Advisory Board.

We have also worked closely with the Portuguese government throughout every stage of the process—from selecting the site to designing the sanctuary. We are very grateful for the support of the veterinary, wildlife, and planning authorities, who have taken a collaborative approach and guided us through the licensing process. We have a cooperation agreement in place with the local municipalities, ensuring Pangea is developed in harmony with regional priorities and community interests.

Pangea is modeled after two of the most respected elephant sanctuaries in the world: The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee (TES) and Elephant Sanctuary Brazil (ESB), both founded by Scott Blais, who is now a close advisor to Pangea. At TES, more than 1,200 acres of forest, pasture, and ponds provide retired elephants with space to roam and form bonds, while public access is restricted to protect their peace. Visitors connect instead through live-stream cameras. ESB follows the same philosophy, offering several hundred acres in the Brazilian cerrado where elephants rescued from circuses and zoos can slowly rehabilitate, integrate into herds, and rediscover natural behaviors.

Elephants are managed through protected contact (never chains or bull hooks), and are given the freedom to choose how they interact with the care team. They receive individualized veterinary and behavioral support and are introduced to companions gradually at their own pace.

We also work closely with Elephant Haven in France, who currently have two resident elephants and are hoping to expand their premises to take in a further four elephants over time.

Pangea is committed to working with any zoo, circus, or government seeking a better future for elephants. We welcome partnerships from across Europe and will prioritise proactive engagement in Portugal, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. Recognising the sensitivities involved, our approach emphasises discretion, flexibility, and non-confrontational communication.