Home / Environment / Last Circus Elephant Retires to Portugal Sanctuary
Last Circus Elephant Retires to Portugal Sanctuary
30 Jul
Summary
- Julie, the last circus elephant in Portugal, now lives at a sanctuary.
- The sanctuary aims to house 20 to 35 elephants in a safe environment.
- Portugal enacted a law in 2018 to ban wild animals in circuses by 2024.
Julie, an African elephant who spent 40 years performing in Portuguese circuses, has been released into the country's inaugural elephant sanctuary. The Pangea Elephant Sanctuary in Alentejo welcomed Julie on June 30, marking a new chapter for the last circus elephant in Portugal. She was brought to Portugal in the late 1980s and began performing in 1988.
Portugal's 2018 law prohibiting wild animals in circuses by 2024 created a need for facilities like Pangea. Although still under construction when plans were made, the sanctuary coordinated Julie's move. The sanctuary spans 1,000 acres and is designed to eventually house between 20 and 35 elephants, providing a safe haven away from the stress of long-distance travel.
Pangea, an independent charity operating in both the UK and Portugal, is working to expand its facilities. The sanctuary received sponsorship for Julie from a UK primary school. Julie is expected to be joined later this year by Kariba, another female African elephant currently residing alone in a Belgian zoo.
