Portugal’s last circus elephant, a 40-year-old captive named Julie, is set to be relocated to an elephant sanctuary under a voluntary agreement that effectively ends the use of wild animals in the country’s circuses, according to The Guardian.
Julie had been part of the Victor Hugo Cardinali circus since 1988 and stopped performing in 2024 after Portugal prohibited wild animals from circuses. That year, her last remaining companion also passed away.
Now she’ll move to Pangea, a 1,000-acre sanctuary in Alentejo, Portugal, where she will be joined by another African elephant, Kariba, who is in her 40s and will soon be transferred from a zoo in Belgium.
“This has not been an easy decision, as she has been a member of our family for decades, but we believe it is the right decision for Julie,” Circus Director Víctor Hugo Cardinali said. “Working with Pangea on her transition to her new home was a critical factor in our deliberations.”
In addition to offering Julie and her new companion far more space to roam and the chance to socialize, the former cattle ranch-turned-sanctuary will also provide them with a more natural living environment and a team of specialists equipped to care for them.
Most European Union countries have banned the use of wild animals in circuses, with Germany remaining the only exception.
However, even where such bans are in place, circuses often struggle to retire elephants and other large animals due to a shortage of available sanctuary space.
Lady Freethinker is grateful to Pangea for providing Julie and Kariba with the room they need and applauds the many European countries that have outlawed wild animals from performing in circuses.
We hope more nations will follow their lead and that additional sanctuaries will open to give elephants and other exploited animals the opportunity to live out their remaining years in peace and dignity.
