LONELY ELEPHANT STARTS A NEW LIFE AND FINDS
COMPANIONSHIP AT PORTUGAL SANCTUARY
13th November 2026
ALENTEJO, Portugal — After a 2,000-kilometre journey from Belgium, Kariba has finally arrived at Pangea Elephant Sanctuary in the Alentejo region of Portugal. Kariba is the last remaining African elephant in Belgium, and she joins Julie, Portugal’s last circus elephant, who made the 1,000-acre reserve her home in July.
Their stories are strikingly similar. Both were captured from the wild as calves in the 1980’s and spent four decades in captivity before finding themselves living alone.
Kariba was sent to Germany from Zimbabwe in 1984 and moved to Pakawi Park in Belgium in 2012. She lived there with another elephant until her companion died in 2022. Julie originally came from southern Africa and joined a Portuguese circus in 1988 where she performed for almost 40 years. She has lived alone since 2024.
Fortunately, Julie and Kariba’s owners recognised their need for companionship and chose to send them to Pangea.
Tommy Pasteels, Director of Pakawi Park, said: “I didn’t want to send Kariba to another zoo or circus, and we are very fortunate that Pangea stepped in to give her a new home. It’s a relief she won’t spend another winter here living all alone. Elephants need to be with other elephants.”
Kariba’s journey to Pangea has not been an easy one. Her move, planned for May, was delayed by a series of infections that cost her part of her ear. She finally arrived at 1am on Wednesday 11 November, just hours before Storm Charles hit Portugal which resulted in a nationwide state of alert.
Within minutes of stepping off the ramp Kariba had eaten some fruit and drank some water and she spent the rest of the night calmly exploring the barn. On Thursday, she took her first tentative steps into her new habitat, and Pangea’s team are now introducing her gradually to Julie at a pace that is comfortable for them both. They have already been communicating from a distance, and Julie is fascinated by the new arrival.
Kate Moore, Managing Director of Pangea, said: “Kariba has had a tough six months and it was an enormous relief when she was finally given the all clear to travel. Watching her step off the truck in the middle of the night, and then hearing Julie rumble to her the next day, are two moments we will never forget.”
She continued, “Giving elephants like Julie and Kariba the chance to live a meaningful life, with space to roam in the company of others, is exactly why Pangea exists. Elephants are incredibly sociable and intelligent animals with very complex needs, and we are already in talks with other zoos about rehoming other elephants that are living alone across Europe. We hope Julie and Kariba will be the first of many.”
Pangea is now preparing to open a larger habitat to give Julie and Kariba more room to roam and make space for more elephants. The initial focus will be on building a herd of African female elephants before turning to new facilities for Asian elephants in need.
Pangea Elephant Sanctuary is the first of its kind in Europe. It is an independent organisation and is supported by four Member organisations, the Born Free, Fondation Brigitte Bardot, Olsen Animal Trust, and World Animal Protection (Denmark).
Kariba’s journey to Pangea was made possible thanks to the contributions of donors around the world. GAIA, a Belgian NGO, also helped to raise funds to contribute to her rehoming.
Anyone who would like to help with Julie and Kariba’s care can donate at www.pangeatrust.org/donate. Supporters can also donate in honour of someone special and receive a personalised gift certificate.
— ENDS —
Kariba’s first day out in the habitat 11 November 2026.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Media provisions: For welfare reasons, the sanctuary is closed to visitors and no media access is available on site. High-quality images and broadcast-ready footage of Julie are available for editorial use.
References: Please refer to us as Pangea Elephant Sanctuary on first mention.
About Pangea Elephant Sanctuary: Europe’s first large-scale elephant sanctuary, set on a 402-hectare reserve in the Alentejo region of Portugal, across the municipalities of Vila Viçosa and Alandroal. Working in partnership with circuses, zoos and authorities, the sanctuary provides lifelong, welfare-led care for elephants in a landscape where they can roam, forage and live in the company of their own kind. Pangea Elephant Sanctuary is operated by Associação Natureza Pangea (Portugal) and supported by The Pangea Trust, a UK registered charity. It is supported by its Founding Members: Born Free Foundation, Olsen Animal Trust, Fondation Brigitte Bardot, and World Animal Protection.
Founding Members: Pangea Elephant Sanctuary is supported by Born Free Foundation, Fondation Brigitte Bardot, Olsen Animal Trust and World Animal Protection. Kariba’s rehoming was supported by GAIA.
For more information and access to media content, please contact Filipa Azevedo Coutinho:
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Call: +351 967 378 973
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