Portugal’s Last Circus Elephant Found a Hobby Nobody Charges Admission For

Julie, an African elephant described as Portugal’s last circus elephant, is settling in at the Pangea Elephant Sanctuary in Portugal’s Alentejo region, where she moved on June 30. Sanctuary staff said in a Euronews report published Nov. 10 that she has gained about 100 kilograms and can roam the whole site day and night.²⁵

That is a big change of address. At the circus, Julie spent most of her time in a shed. At the Pangea Trust sanctuary, she has free access to roughly 400 hectares (about 1,000 acres), 24 hours a day.²

“She literally owns everything, she makes her own choices,” sanctuary manager Ryan Hockley said in the Euronews report.²

From the ring to the mud pool

Julie was captured in Africa as a calf and joined the Víctor Hugo Cardinali circus in 1988.¹ Portugal’s parliament voted in 2018 to ban wild animals in circuses, and the ban took full effect in 2024. Julie retired that year, the same year her last companion died. She was also the last wild animal in any Portuguese circus.¹²

Her move came through a voluntary agreement with the circus. Pangea and the circus announced it together on May 7, with Pangea offering Julie a permanent home and Mr. Cardinali staying involved in the transition.¹ On June 30, she rode about two and a half hours by truck from the circus grounds to the sanctuary.⁵

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“Julie is the first elephant to call Pangea home, and there couldn’t be a more fitting first resident than Portugal’s last circus elephant,” Pangea managing director Kate Moore said, as quoted by SWNS.⁵

One of her favorite pastimes now is wallowing in mud pools.²⁶ After decades of performing for crowds, she has found a hobby nobody needs to buy a ticket for.

Staff report a 100-kilo gain

The weight gain and the reports that Julie is adapting well come from the sanctuary’s own staff, as relayed by Euronews.²

“She has been with us for just over three months and has already gained about 100 kilos in that time, which is perfectly normal,” Hockley said.²

A second elephant, Kariba, is expected

Julie may not be the only resident for long. Kariba, a female African elephant of similar age who was captured in Zimbabwe as a calf, lives alone at Pakawi Park, a zoo in Belgium. She has had no elephant company since her companion Jenny died in 2022.¹⁴

Her move to Pangea has already slipped more than once. It was planned for the end of May, then delayed when a foot abscess was found just days before travel, and infections have delayed it further.³⁴ Portugal Resident reported in late October that she should arrive sometime in the second half of November, and Euronews says she could come as early as November once all conditions are in place.²³ Her arrival date is not confirmed.

Room for many more

Pangea describes the sanctuary as the first of its scale in Europe and says it could eventually house 20 to 30 elephants. Euronews cites an estimate of more than 600 elephants in captivity across Europe.²

The sanctuary is closed to visitors for now.² Its supporting partners include the Born Free Foundation, Fondation Brigitte Bardot, Olsen Animal Trust and World Animal Protection (Denmark).¹