Pangea Trust Elephant Sanctuary to Open in Portugal
Operations Begin Next Year with Relocation of 'Kariba' from Belgium
Elephants to Roam Freely in Vast Area, No Public Access for Visitors
A large-scale sanctuary for elephants that can no longer remain in zoos will be operated in Portugal, marking the first such facility in Europe. According to Yonhap News on November 29 (local time), citing the British daily Financial Times (FT), "The Pangea Trust Elephant Sanctuary plans to relocate Kariba, a 40-year-old elephant who was captured in the wild in Zimbabwe in the 1980s and brought to Europe, from Brussels, Belgium, to Alentejo, Portugal, early next year as a 'founding member.'"
The elephant Kariba, scheduled to be relocated in 2026 from Brussels, Belgium to the Pangea Trust Sanctuary in Portugal. Pangea Trust Instagram
The sanctuary provides an area of 850 acres (3.44 million square meters) for elephants to roam. This is 200 times the size of the elephant enclosure at Tierpark Berlin in Germany and 28 times that of the largest elephant enclosure at Whipsnade Zoo in the United Kingdom. Keith Lindsay, a biologist and advisor to the sanctuary, stated, "Elephants are not only large but also highly intelligent, and they become frustrated if they cannot control their own lives, so they require vast spaces." According to Yonhap News, he co-authored a report in 2022 stating that elephants need a habitat of at least 100 hectares (1 million square meters).
The sanctuary is supported by sponsors such as the Born Free Foundation, a British animal protection organization, and Brigitte Bardot, a French actress and animal rights activist. They drew inspiration from existing sanctuaries like The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, United States. The sanctuary plans to allow elephants to forage, bathe, and socialize outdoors. Most areas will not be open to visitors, and breeding among the elephants will not be encouraged.
Native elephants in Europe have become extinct, and during the Middle Ages and early modern period, elephants were brought from Asia and Africa as trophies for popes and kings. In the early 19th century, as zoos began to be established, elephants became important exhibition animals. There are currently about 600 elephants remaining in Europe, many of which are elderly. In October last year, a zoo in Denmark euthanized two African elephants: one due to illness, and the other to prevent it from being left alone. In response, Kate Moore, Director of the Pangea Trust, stated, "If our sanctuary had been operational, the other elephant could have retired to Portugal."
According to Yonhap News, scientists have recently pointed out that elephants, the largest land animals, are unsuitable for life in zoos. African elephants living in Kenya's national parks have an average lifespan three times that of those in European zoos, and Asian elephants used in Myanmar's logging industry have a life expectancy twice as long as those kept in captivity.
However, there are limitations as to how closely the Pangea Trust can replicate a natural environment, and there are also legal and financial challenges. Since it is not a zoo, it cannot be licensed or operated as one, and because elephants are not native to Portugal, the sanctuary cannot use a license for releasing native wildlife. The sanctuary is awaiting new legislation, and the Portuguese government is reportedly supportive. The sanctuary has secured about half of its 7.8 million pounds (approximately 15.2 billion won) budget for 2025-2027, and its capacity is limited to around 20 elephants.
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