Portugal's last circus elephant finds forever home in sanctuary

Published: 23:18, 12 July 2026 | Updated: 23:18, 12 July 2026 When Julie took her first steps of freedom into her new home at an elephant sanctuary her 40 years living and working in a circus were finally at an end. Taken from her mother who was killed for her ivory tusks when she was just a calf in the 1980s, Julie was shipped out of southern Africa and sold into the circus trade. She was bought by the family-run Victor Hugo Cardinali Circus which is the largest in Portugal. While working for the circus she lived in a barn, but now she calls a 1,000-acre elephant sanctuary of rolling hills, grassland, forest, and lakes, two hours east of Lisbon home. The reserve is the first of its kind in Europe and was established by British charity, Pangea Trust, based in Suffolk. Julie is Portugal's very last circus elephant and the first resident to step foot at the sanctuary after Pangea persuaded the Victor Hugo Cardinali Circus to let Julie spend her retirement years with them. Many others have not been so fortunate. Although most European countries have banned wild animals in circuses there has, until now, been nowhere for the elephants to go. Julie in her new sanctuary in Portugal where she is free to roam in 1,000 acres of open country Julie could well have found herself in a circus or zoo in Germany, Hungary, or Dubai where elephants that perform tricks are still in high demand. But for the last fortnight Julie has been making the most of her freedom, enjoying mud baths and grazing in her new habitat. Pangea's Managing Director Kate Moore believes Julie's surroundings could help her to remember her life back in Africa with her family. Kate said: 'The landscape and climate in the Alentejo region of Portugal is very similar to Africa, and we can't help but wonder what she remembers from her early years before she joined the circus. 'Elephants are incredibly intelligent, sociable creatures with complex needs and the most extraordinary memories, and within days she was behaving just like a wild elephant – grazing, playing with the trees, wallowing in the mud, and giving herself a dust bath. 'Hearing her rumble is incredible, but what she needs now is a companion to answer her.' Kariba, another female African elephant currently living alone in a Belgian zoo, is expected to join Julie in the coming months, with more elephants to follow. And Julie's old family at the circus have stayed in touch with her bringing her baskets of fruit after dropping her off in an animal transport vehicle for her first day at the sanctuary. Mud baths are a new treat for Julie who gets fruit sent to her from her old family at the circus Julie performing before 2018 by placing her legs on the back of Samba another circus elephant Julie pictured on day one at her new habitat taking her first cautious steps into the sanctuary  In a few hours Julie was racing about the sanctuary like a wild elephant filled with excitement Over 600 elephants live in captivity across Europe, roughly 40 of which are still forced to perform in circus-type settings. In the UK the last circus elephant was retired in 2011, while in 2018 Portugal's government voted to prohibit the use of wild animals in circuses, with the ban taking full effect in 2024. For the final years of her time with the circus Julie was not working but was being cared for by the staff there. Earlier this year, Pangea helped to rehome Sona, Portugal's last circus tiger, at a sanctuary in Spain. Pangea, like all charities, relies on donations to fund their work. Donations can be made here: Pangeatrust.org/donate  For the next stage of their project, to house elephants from zoos and circus, Pangea are looking up to open up 70 acres of habitat for Julie and her future companions.