The Pangea Elephant Sanctuary in Alentejo will receive a second ‘tenant’ in mid-November, and talks are underway for the arrival of a third in the early part of next year, it was revealed today.
During a press visit to the sanctuary, located on lands in the municipalities of Vila Viçosa and Alandroal, in the Évora district, the manager, Ryan Hockley, told the Lusa agency that the female elephant Kariba should arrive “around the second week of November”.
“Kariba arrives next month and, afterwards, a third elephant, perhaps in the early part of next year,” he said, expressing the wish that the Pangea sanctuary can continue, in the coming years, “to receive new elephants every year”.
The official stressed that there are “several conversations underway” for the arrival of a third animal, but he declined to provide details as it is “a delicate matter for any zoo or for the people who visit regularly”.
Regarding Kariba, who currently lives in a Belgian zoo, the sanctuary’s manager explained that this female elephant was already due to come to Alentejo, but her arrival was delayed for health reasons.
“We have to ensure that the elephant is strong enough,” because she “needs to endure, at minimum, 36 hours in transit” to Portugal “and that can represent a great strain for any animal,” he stressed.
Ryan Hockley noted that, at the moment, Kariba “is in a much better medical state,” hence he is confident that the animal could arrive within about three weeks.
The sanctuary team is already preparing a plan for Julie, who arrived little over three months ago at the space, and Kariba to “form a strong bond, be lifelong companions and share the same space”.
“When we introduce Kariba and Julie, we will place a barrier between them to ensure that both stay safe and, thereafter, we will simply observe behaviors, the way they interact physically, and the sounds they emit,” he pointed out.
Noting that both are African and around 45 years old, the manager said that if “positive progress” is observed in these areas, the two “could be integrated into the same space very quickly”.
“But if some time is needed for these positive behaviors to actually materialize, we don’t need to rush anything. We will do it at their pace and in the way that best suits them,” he stressed.
Also speaking to Lusa, Johnny Nascimento, a keeper and operations coordinator at the sanctuary, revealed that Julie, the last circus elephant in Portugal, “arrived a little shy,” but within two weeks adapted to the sanctuary.
In the first days, he recalled, this female elephant left the stalls very little, but as time passed, she “began to walk more” and now even “has laid out the tracks” in the outdoor space, which covers about three hectares.
“She has been spending more time outside. From the cameras we have noticed that she may spend outside 18, 19 or 20 hours a day,” he says, noting that she also enjoys the mud available in the area, where she even tends to sleep, slinging mud over her body to cool down on hot days and to keep insects away.
In addition to this outdoor space, the sanctuary has stables, with capacity for five animals, where medical behavioral training is carried out so that blood samples can later be collected or examinations performed, as well as measurements, such as weighing.
With a height of 2.65 meters and a weight of 2,930 kilograms, Julie eats daily between 80 and 100 kilograms of oats hay, feed, twigs and shrubs, and a small amount of fruit and vegetables.
Pangea plans to expand, next year, the elephant’s outdoor space, increasing from the current three hectares to 30.
Described as “the first major sanctuary in Europe,” the reserve, which opens periodically for group visits, is intended for elephants that have lived in captivity. It has a capacity for 30 animals and an investment of 15 million euros is planned over about 10 years.
