After decades alone, Julie and Kariba get 70 acres together

Two African elephants who have spent most of their lives alone will meet next month at Europe's first large-scale elephant sanctuary, in Portugal's Alentejo region about 124 miles east of Lisbon. Kariba arrives from a Belgian zoo. Julie, caught in the wild in 1988, comes from the Cardinali circus, where she became the last animal rehomed under Portugal's ban on wild animals in circuses, fully in force in 2025. Both elephants are in their 40s. The sanctuary, run by the charity Pangea, sits on a former cattle ranch restored over ten years and starts at 70 acres, with room to grow to 1,000. It will not be open to the public. "Kariba and Julie will live in an expansive natural habitat where they can roam freely, bathe and socialise in compatible groups," said Pangea managing director Kate Moore. Vítor Hugo Cardinali, the circus director, called the decision a hard one. "She has been a deeply loved member of our family for decades. But we believe it is the right decision for Julie."