An elephant from a zoo in Belgium arrived at the Pangea sanctuary in Alentejo early this morning, becoming the sanctuary’s second resident, it was announced.
In a post on social media, the Pangea Trust, a non-profit organization that manages the sanctuary, indicated that the female elephant Kariba arrived at 01:00 today at the sanctuary, located in the municipalities of Vila Viçosa and Alandroal, in the Évora district.
“We want to give her time to rest and regain her strength. Therefore, she will stay in the barn for at least the next 24 to 48 hours, before we open the gates to her habitat,” the organization explained in the same post.
Kariba, who left Belgium on Monday in a truck bound for the sanctuary, is a female originally from Zimbabwe who has lived in Europe in captivity for the past 40 years in various zoos.
When she arrived at the sanctuary early this morning, according to the Pangea Trust, the animal “took her first steps down the ramp [from the truck], appeared a little unstable,” but “then took a few more steps forward and sniffed the ground.”
“We cannot know exactly what she was thinking, but perhaps she felt that Julie [the female elephant who has been living at the sanctuary for about four months] was nearby,” admitted the sanctuary promoters.
Noting that, shortly after, Kariba picked up some fruit and drank water, the Pangea Trust stressed that, in the following hours, her keeper in Belgium spoke words of encouragement to her.
“She is blind on the right side and, at one point, she banged her head against the gate with a huge crash. That did not discourage her and, in little time, she was exploring the entire barn, sniffing the air, alert but calm, chewing hay and eating watermelon from the drinking trough,” added the organization.
During an October press visit to the sanctuary, the space’s manager, Ryan Hockley, revealed to Lusa that a plan was being prepared for the two elephants, both African and around 45 years old, “to develop 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, then, we will simply observe their behaviors, how they interact physically and the sounds they emit,” he said then.
At the time, the official stressed that there were “several discussions under way” about the arrival of a third animal, but he declined to share details because it was “a delicate matter for any zoo or the people who regularly visit it.”
Pangea Trust has plans to increase, next year, the outdoor space of the sanctuary dedicated to elephants, expanding from the current three hectares to an area of 30 hectares.
Considered “the first large sanctuary in Europe,” the reserve, which opens periodically for group visits, is intended for elephants that have lived in captivity. It has the capacity for 30 animals and is planned to invest 15 million euros, to be realized over about 10 years.
