Kariba
Help us give her a forever home
Kariba’s owners have made the heartfelt decision to give her a future filled with freedom and companionship, but we need your support to make it happen. Find out how you can help us bring this incredible elephant home to Pangea by visiting our emergency relocation appeal.
The long road to Pangea.
Kariba’s journey began in Zimbabwe, where her family was lost to an ivory cull in the mid-1980s. Her herd was killed, and like many others, Kariba was taken from the wild and sent to a zoo in Germany as an orphaned baby. Since then, she has spent ~40 years of her life in the care of European zoos.
In 2012, Kariba was moved to Pakawi Park in Belgium, where she found companionship with Jenny, another African elephant that was retired from circus life. The two shared a bond that offered comfort and connection after years of separation from their own kind. But when Jenny passed away in 2022, Kariba was left alone again. Recognizing her need for space and companionship, the team at Pakawi Park began searching for a new home. With the help of Belgian NGO GAIA, their search led to Pangea.
Images: courtesy of Pakawi Park, Belgium.
A new beginning.
Now, after life in captivity, a new chapter is beginning. At Pangea, Kariba’s world will open once more. She’ll walk on soft earth under open skies, explore the hills and forests of her new home, and meet other elephants who will become her family. She will receive care tailored to her age and history from experts who put her welfare above anything else. Every step she takes will be toward healing and rediscovering what it means to be an elephant.
Elephant Profile
Height: 3.5m
Rehoming Partners
“We congratulate Pakawi Park for their compassion and foresight. Pakawi Park have done their very best for Kariba, but ultimately elephants have complex physical and emotional needs.”
“We have cared for Kariba for over 13 years, and she will be hugely missed, but we couldn’t see her alone anymore. We believe she can have the best possible quality of life at Pangea, with space to be an elephant again and with the companionship of others.”
Elephant News
Julie’s First Two Months
A Remarkable Transformation Since arriving at the beginning of July, Julie has settled in better than any of us could have hoped. In the first few days we couldn\'t believe how quickly she took to her new life. We opened the barn gates leading into her paddock just 24 hours…
Kariba Health Update II
A Difficult Few Months Kariba\'s move was delayed back in June after she developed an abscess on her foot. Since then, she developed two further infections - one on her chest, and a more serious one that has sadly resulted in her losing part of her ear. There are several…
New Video of Julie’s Arrival at Pangea
Watch the Complete Story After 40 years in the circus, Julie has been given the opportunity for a new life at Pangea. We are very excited to show this short film highlighting the arrival of our first elephant, including her journey from Cardinali Circus to her first steps in the…
Our First Elephant Has Arrived at Pangea
EUROPE’S FIRST LARGE-SCALE SANCTUARY OFFICIALLY OPENS WITH THE ARRIVAL OF PORTUGAL’S LAST CIRCUS ELEPHANT 2nd July 2026Pangea Elephant Sanctuary’s first resident marks the end of wild animals in Portuguese circuses and a jumbo step forward in elephant welfare across Europe LISBON, Portugal — Julie, Portugal\'s last circus elephant and the…
Julie Confirmed as Pangea’s First Elephant
Our First Resident is Arriving Soon We are excited to announce that Julie, the last circus elephant in Portugal, will soon become the first resident at Pangea. As Kariba takes the time she needs to recover from her abscess, everything has fallen into place for Julie. When we announced…
Sad news from Poland
Katka We were recently approached about whether Pangea might be able to help an elephant in Poland, and we\'re sorry to share that she has since passed away. Katka was an African elephant at Gdańsk Zoo. Wild-born around 1970 - like Julie and Kariba, taken from the wild as a…
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